Devils at Play
by suspensegirl
Summary: 1x01-1x09, more CB sexual tension and intimacy
1. Real

A/N: Wow, I can't believe I've actually gotten to my first BoB preview – turned multi-chaptered fic. XD I figured I'd do the requests first, so the requesters aren't hanging on forever. Lol. This is Idea #5, requested by: **melanieacbaer. **I hope this is everything you hoped for. =)

***Most of this first chapter is just going to be the preview I posted. I hope you'll still enjoy and review. Thanks again! =D**

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**Ch.1—Real**

Outside, New York City was bustling. Cars zooming, crowded streets, expensive stores and the grandest parties. It was still mid morning and the trains had only begun their journeys of the day. One of them however…carried a most important individual.

Although Blair Waldorf's own life had become not one of the most exciting places as of the last six months, she could always count on her perverted friend, Chuck, to smooth things over for her. Her boyfriend, Nate, had been distant. Well, acting weird was more like it, but she liked to pretend it was because they hadn't had sex yet…not that her breathtaking, blonde best friend had taken off for boarding school six months earlier. She always had to fight for the attention around Serena, and now that she was gone…well, nothing had gotten better. Everything had gotten worse.

She gazed at herself in the mirror, finding an issue with all of her features. From her awkwardly angled face to her not-flat-enough stomach, there was obviously good reason for her boy friend's mental and emotional infidelity.

But the important thing was that he hadn't cheated on her. Not in official physical form at least. He was too good for that. He was an Archibald.

So, she wouldn't do it. Not this time. Not again. But she stared at herself, playing with the ends of her long brunette strands…and sighed. She heard someone scoffing at her door, but she didn't turn to look to see who it was. She knew.

"You look _fine_," Chuck said, probably annoyed that he had caught her deprecating her appearance again.

She didn't respond, but only laid one hand down to pick up another lock of hair and scrutinize the probable split ends on the other side of her face. She could feel him moving, and allowed him to take her hand from amongst her curls and lay it down on her vanity. She felt him lay his hands lightly on either side of her waist, but she didn't flinch. If he lowered his hands anymore, she would stomp on his foot efficiently with her six inch heels.

But not for this.

This felt comfortable.

She looked into the mirror and saw him laying his chin on her left shoulder, turning his head ever so slightly so as to smell her hair.

"Chuck…" she pulled away a little, but his grasp on her waist was not thwarted.

"Shh," he whispered, bringing her back to him. "I'm just trying to make you feel beautiful."

He said it so quietly, and she was sure he was never so gentle or sincere with all of his conquests. She allowed herself to believe it, if only for a moment. The thought that Nate might say something to the same extent gave her hope.

"I'm _fine_," she said defiantly, though a little weak in tone. She pushed away from him successfully this time, and crossed the room to sit on her bed. "I don't need you saving me."

He sighed, looking on at her knowingly, and slipped his hands into his pockets. "Then, why am I always finding you by yourself in the middle of your _glorious_ parties?" he quirked an eyebrow, and pretended to ignore the vision of how fragile she had become.

Blair rolled her eyes. "It's not _my_ party, it's my _mother's_," she snapped, looking back at him. "And I'd appreciate it if you weren't up here, always checking on me." She stood and walked over to him, ready to argue.

He smirked.

"Nate would be suspicious," she said, hoping to thwart his amusement in the least.

Chuck opened his mouth to say something, but shut it in an instant. He figured now was probably not the best time to bring up Serena. "Nate trusts me," he said, after a moment's pause.

She scoffed. "Maybe that's the problem," she muttered, walking back towards the mirror. She picked up her brush, but before it could reach her hair, Chuck had taken it from her and she had hardly given a fight.

"I'm just worried about you, Blair," he whispered into her ear, and her eyes closed suddenly at the intimate touch.

"I know," her voice broke.

There was a long pause, and they just stayed there steadily breathing in that embrace. Blair could even feel herself leaning back into him as he held her gently. She did not even force him away when his arms encircled her waist completely.

No one would believe her if she told them that Chuck Bass was so concerned over a girl he was not sleeping with. And she wasn't planning on telling them. Or even acknowledging it outside of moments like these.

"Is there another reason?" she asked quietly.

"Hmm?" he asked, lost in her hair.

"Another reason you're up here?" she asked, turning her head slightly so as to force his nose out of her luscious curls.

"Ah," he nodded, "Your mind wanders, does it?"

She fought the urge to roll her eyes again and turned to face him. She crossed her arms against her chest. "Well?"

He exhaled, exasperated. "I was bored," he shrugged.

Her nose scrunched up, and she pushed him away. "Ugh, you disgust me."

He smiled at this, and began to head towards the door.

"Did it ever occur to you, Waldorf, that there was a part of my mind that wasn't perverted?" he raised his eyebrows, starting to doubt his own words. Blair scoffed but stood still, in front of her mirror. Much to his relief, she was no longer scrutinizing herself. Her mind had shifted its target to the cocky boy in the doorway. _Mission accomplished._

"I'll see you downstairs?" he asked her, teasingly.

She looked at him incredulously, as if he'd just suggested sex in front of her mother's guests. He caught on instantly, his smirk irremovable from his face. "Like I'd do something so appalling in front of my guests!" she nearly screeched, mockingly of course.

"Shh," he whispered calmly, placing a single finger in front of his lips. "Not so loud."

She huffed at him, trying to restrain her laughter, and searched her vanity quickly for something to throw, but once she had found a decent enough object, he had gone. She stepped back, a bit disappointed that he had gotten away so easily. She walked into the hallway, and found him leaning against the wall, halfway to the stairs. Her eyes narrowed, especially when he turned to her, scotch in hand (where he had gotten it, she'd never know), and apparent permanent smirk on his devilish face. She stalked towards him, and he turned and straightened himself towards her.

"Find something?" he asked, well aware that she had been trying to chuck something at him.

First her jaw dropped, resulting in a solid oval shape. Then, it slowly got smaller and her amused expression turned into one of skepticism. "No," she replied, studying his every move.

He was about to make his next move when he heard the calls from downstairs.

"Blair!" they heard Kati and Is both call. "Are you coming back soon? I thought you already had a headband on!"

It broke their concentration and their focus as they turned to look to where the sound had come from, before slowly rejoining back to the familiar gaze.

"Is that what you told them?" he asked, amused. She was about to respond when he interrupted her apparent lapse in thought. "I'd better go keep them occupied," Chuck said, winking at her, before finally heading down the stairs.

She shook her head at him, but knew by his pause on the steps that he intended for her to follow.

"I'll be down soon," she said, absentmindedly, and she could almost feel the heat from his stupid smirk consume her, even from that distance. He nodded subtly, and continued his descent down the elegant stairwell.

A small smile spread across her face, and she turned back towards her bedroom, but it would not be for long.

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A/N: Okay, so I guess I only did what the preview was, but I did fix some grammatical errors and added more to some of the dialogue and narration. Heheh. I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapters will be much longer, I promise. ;p


	2. When Everyone's Not

A/N: Finally, chapter 2 has come! =D I hope you're still going to be tagging along for this. Since I'm writing up about 5 stories currently, 4 on here and 1 on fictionpress, I'll only be able to update each probably once a week. Just a forewarning. Oh, and in case you aren't aware, my thoughts on the most recent GG episode is posted at the top of my profile. I encourage excessive discussion via PMing especially in regards to our lovely CB. ;p

*I own nothing. Please review! =D

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**Ch.2—When Everyone's Not**

The last thing she wanted to do was to meet up with Serena after school. She had made it clear that she didn't want her around when she declined her a party invitation on the Met Steps just minutes earlier. The fact that she had left without a word six months earlier had torn her apart. Then she had to find out from Gossip Girl that Serena was back. The blonde hadn't stayed more than a couple minutes before flitting off again to some new destination. Blair was furious, but more than that she was furious. She wasn't blind to Nate and Serena's interactions. Both were holding back, and as respectful it might have been to her, it burned to feel the sexual tension between them.

So, no, Serena would have to work for it, prove that she was worthy of her friendship. She would have to have an extremely good excuse for leaving out of the blue too. That was just uncalled for. And now Nate was even more distant. He had run off like a little child informed of cookies before dinner when Serena had arrived. They had been mere seconds away from having _sex_, from him taking her _virginity_, and he'd abandoned the idea with hardly a second glance. _Serena was back. _Now seducing Nate was even more difficult, as she'd suspected it would be. In truth, she didn't even want to lose her virginity quite yet. It was the only hold she had over him.

The only thing that had kept her going had been Chuck and his smarmy comments. She wouldn't dare let herself believe he had actually been concerned and sentimental, not except in the moments themselves. They were friends through Nate and though sometimes she even wished for him more than Serena or Nate, which had been more and more the case over the last six months, she could not dismiss his reputation and the essence of his very soul-less character. She ignored the sweet softness of his touch.

At any rate, she was set on ignoring Serena and hardly keeping an open mind about the invitation to drinks after school she'd somehow wound up in accepting. What was worse was that lunch would be over in less than ten minutes, and that only left a couple brief hours of solace to herself.

"Waldorf."

Her eyes maintained focus on the approaching doors ahead of her. There was no way she was going to let the perverted best friend of her boyfriend tempt her into a scandalous scheme involving her blonde best friend, regardless of how tempting it might be. She was going to enjoy her afternoon of mindless thinking and make sure to be nothing but close-minded during her visit with Serena at _The Palace._

"Bass," she said neutrally, refusing to let herself by distracted. She frowned internally when he pushed himself off of the brick wall he'd been leaning against and followed her. She should have known he wouldn't give up that easily. He never did.

"You seem awfully rushed for the victory I just witnessed on the Met Steps."

She turned towards him, for the first time making brief eye contact. "What's it to you? I was just separating the good from the bad," she sighed, almost cheerily, "unfortunately the bad insists on involving herself with me."

"Your plan?" he asked nonchalantly when they neared the school doors. She halted and turned to look at him straight on. She could see in his eyes how much he anticipated her answer and it made her lips curl up in a glossy smirk.

"Make it as painful as possible?" she suggested, her voice rising just a bit near the end of her question. She looked up just a bit, contemplating her destruction on the girl that so clearly was trying to slip her way back into her life as easily as she'd left it. She probably thought it would be as easy as it was to do everything else in her life. With the touch of a finger.

"And what about you? Was your drug-induced lunch with my boyfriend amusing?" she asked, her eyebrows rising momentarily. She would not let him ask any more questions. She was eager to get away as soon as possible, even if she had decided the perhaps premeditated halt between lunch with Kati and Is and the school building had become somewhat enjoyable.

Chuck's face was unreadable. Sometimes she hated that about him. He had perfected the poker face. Not that she hadn't done the same, but it was irritating facing her own skills.

"There was no lunch," he smiled cockily. She rolled her eyes and tumbled the items in her purse about as a way to escape. The conversation was enjoyable, but it revolved around Nate and Serena, topics she did not want to think about any longer. It had been the plan since putting Serena in her place on the steps.

"I wouldn't know," she scoffed, trying to push away the fact of just how little Nate informed her about in regards to his life. Using the small mirror she'd found in her purse, she analyzed the curls framing her face. She wasn't looking at him, but she could have sworn his eyes narrowed at the action. Any anger or frustration was not present on his face when she looked up though, so she erased the notion from her head. She gave him her best fake smile and what appeared to be a disgusted once-over and walked away.

His lips parted and he couldn't help smiling at her as she walked away. He scoffed, though he couldn't help how lighthearted it sounded.

"Leaving me hanging, Waldorf?"

She threw an amused fleeting glance over her shoulder.

"Duty calls," she shrugged her shoulder in the most condescending way he'd ever seen.

His searching eyes watched her retreating form long after it had disappeared down the hall. It was not until several minutes after the bell had rung that he actually made it to class. A couple of choice picks flirted with him in the halls, just enough for him to forget the complicated situation that seemed to be surrounding him from the second he'd befriended Serena, Blair and Nate in his childhood. Nate loved Serena, Blair loved Nate, and Serena was oblivious. He, however, could see things very clearly. Nate had responded to the idea of having sex with Blair as if he were going to his execution. Chuck could only keep up the sarcasm for so long.

* * *

She felt somewhat more lighthearted and at ease after her conversation with Serena. It had been a little rocky at the beginning and unless they plunged into some non-awkward yet abrupt get together, she gathered it would be rocky for just a bit more. The relief that had poured into and flooded through her when she'd hugged Serena almost erased all the pain she'd felt through those long six months of almost constant rain. She really believed it would be okay now. Maybe she'd even extend her an invitation to the _Kiss on the Lips_ party – per request.

She cleared her throat just a hint above normal, and definitely in a no-nonsense manner towards the individual that had dared to cross her path, obviously without thinking. She finally looked up at whatever moron was still standing in front of her. If there had not been a litter of tramps surrounding what must have been a male drinker at the bar, she would have walked around.

"Chuck," she said, in a bit of shock though with a clear-cut blandness to her tone. He was smirking smarmily at her.

"Blair," he responded coolly, gesturing towards the bar. "Shall we?" She rolled her eyes and pushed the too tall women aside.

"Been there, done that, and no time for you. I've got Nate to get ready for." She adjusted her purse over the curve of her shoulder, clearly waiting for his reaction should he think he won. She couldn't have that.

He raised his eyebrows in amusement and gestured towards the bar tender. "How about you make time? I'm sure you've already got some sexy lingerie all picked out. There's no need to rush," he smirked, taking great delight in the fiery color that lit up her face at his nonchalant mention of her love life and her pre-planned activities.

_Clearly, Nate did not keep his plans to himself._

The thought made her fume for a second before encouraging herself with the notion that it meant Nate thought well enough of her to possibly brag to Chuck about finally getting to sleep with his girlfriend. She felt guilty suddenly that she had not slept with her sooner. She had not committed the act prior, but there was a slight hopeful notion inside her that she might be even better than Serena, that maybe it would dissuade her boyfriend against her best friend permanently.

Chuck's eyes were analyzing her keenly when she looked back up at him. She had been thinking about her current situation and hopes towards a better end for too long. The confusion on his face was adorable and left her feeling quite satisfied, she decided.

"Come on, Bass," she inclined her head towards the exit. "Move your sluts. I need your help with something." She smirked, knowing he'd follow her. Surprisingly, though he wasn't in front of her, the girls parted and Blair walked proudly out of the bar, out of the lobby, and out of the hotel all together.

Chuck didn't know how to take the sudden turn in events, but he found himself unable to speak throughout the entire trip over to the Waldorf penthouse. He knew the brunette across from him found it extremely rewarding. It was an intense boost to her ego, and if he had not been so confused and curious, he would have used some sort of comeback against her to justify his silence.

"What exactly is it that you need _help_ with?" he murmured against her once they'd gotten in through the door of her bedroom. In a great rush his confidence and blatant arrogance had returned. He pulled her flush up against him from behind and squeezed her hip firmly with one hand, while creeping his hand slowly up her torso with the other.

She was intoxicated for the moment, having been completely shocked by the intrusion of his hands on her in a much more sensual nature than she'd ever experienced, even in their most intimate moments. She wondered then if her idea to help her pick out lingerie for Nate was such a wise idea. She had never been tempted towards infidelity a single day in her life, but for that brief fraction of a second desire welled up in her and she knew she had responded far too long after his statement to justify herself. She only pushed away from him when she could feel the heat of his fingertips looming just over the underside of her breast.

"Nothing of that nature," she spat, pushing him away and smacking him over the head with her very full-packed purse. He rubbed at his head, though unable to keep a little smile from slipping through.

"_Ow_."

She rolled her eyes and moved further into her room. He stopped solid when he noticed all the sets of lingerie decorating the floor of her room. More draped over the silk comforter on her bed. He gaped, an unfamiliar stirring in his stomach leaving him feeling very unsettled. He noticed then how Blair was standing on the opposite side of the room.

"Pick one," she demanded, glancing down at what must have been at least twenty options and then looked back up to a gaping Chuck. She didn't show any amusement on her face. There might have been a smirk or a smile itching to get out, but she kept it under wraps. Her mood had elevated considerably since she'd first arranged for a meeting with Serena earlier that day on the steps. She credited making up with Serena as the key source. It felt so good to have her best friend back again, even if her boyfriend still wasn't entirely focused on _her_. He_ would be _after tonight. Plus, drawing two speechless Chuck phases in the space of twenty minutes was something she hadn't accomplished in at least a few months. The aching sexual tension she'd felt with him that had scared her to death was the farthest thing from her mind.

"You do realize," he finally said, "that you're asking me to pick out the lingerie you're planning on wearing to lose your virginity in…with my best friend."

She crossed her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow. She was too amused to hide the smirk any longer. "I wasn't asking a question."

He felt his throat go dry as he skimmed the floor and her bed again. He thought his heart was going to explode with how loud it was beating in his ears. He didn't know where the damn feeling had come from. Blair was always hot, but this was ridiculous.

He looked back up at her. "Whichever one comes off easiest I'm sure he'll be pleased with," he smirked smarmily. She didn't roll her eyes, but watched him keenly, analyzing the way in which he did everything. He didn't look it in the least, but it was a little unnerving.

"Well," she shrugged, "what about this one?" she asked, slipping out of her skirt and school blouse. Chuck swallowed hard, cursing himself for getting aroused.

"Yes," he said, his eyes lingering on the curves clearly emphasized in the silky beige and black lingerie she was showing off to him. Nate would hardly believe it if he told him, and he didn't think he would care either. He guessed after that night Blair would be repulsed by what she had done _for_ Chuck in showing so much of herself to him. There would be no doubt in her mind that he'd tease her relentlessly. But that would be _then_, and this was _now_, and he could _not_ stop staring.

"Yes?" she asked playfully, drawing him out of his hard-set stare.

"Yes," he cleared his throat, bringing his now dark, hungry eyes back to her face and making sure they stayed there. Everything else blurred in comparison. "Yes, that one."

It was all he could see.

* * *

She was sobbing, having lost all capacity to think clearly when she heard the phone ring. She didn't want to move. She was still shaking from what Nate had told her when she'd made him leave twenty minutes earlier. Her head was spinning. Any relief she'd felt in getting Serena back was swept away in the treacherous reality of betrayal she now felt from both of them. _And Serena hadn't even told her_. At least Nate had the guts to tell her before he took her virginity, before she thought they'd be taking their virginities together. _No. Serena had taken his virginity._ Serena had taken Nate's virginity in a drunken state during the Sheppard wedding reception six months earlier. It all made sense and Blair wanted to be furious. She knew she would be in the morning when all the tears had dried and she was breathing normally again. Now she just felt betrayed and was more distraught than all the months when Serena wasn't there for her and her father had left the country to live with another man in his homosexual state.

She didn't want to talk to anyone, let alone Chuck Bass. But the cursed phone would not stop ringing and she figured if she got close enough to turn it off she'd be just as close to picking it up. She remembered how Chuck had been there for her throughout the years in regards to issues with her mother and her appearance, and hoped that for the life of him he would be just as sympathetic tonight.

"What asshole?" she said harshly.

"Hello to you, too," he said with amused confusion. "Is something wrong?" His eyebrows narrowed.

Blair sighed, trying to cover up her sniffles. She hated how he knew her so well. She thought she'd covered up her weak, sobbing voice decent enough to come off as bitchy instead of heartbroken. _Apparently not._

"I don't want to talk to you," she said defiantly, reaching for a tissue just within reach. Chuck raised his eyebrows in returned amusement.

"That's why you picked up the phone, right?"

She sighed, running a hand over her face and through her hair. "What do you want, Chuck?" she whimpered, leaning into the cradle her hands, damp from wiping away her tears, held. Chuck held back the immediate thought that came to mind – _to make you feel better._

"Tell me what happened," he said very softly.

"Oh just Nate and his infidelity finally making me aware of my stupidity," she spat. Chuck winced and swallowed hard. _So it had finally come out._ Perhaps almost raping Serena had been worth it. The thought that it would have been doing Blair a favor _had_ crossed his mind. "But I bet you already knew that," she grumbled. An even more alarming feeling consumed her; a deeper pit invaded her stomach and tried to swallow her whole. "_Great_," she muttered, concealing just how very hurt she was.

He sighed. "It wasn't my place to tell, Blair…" he said, his voice incredibly soft and low. He wasn't sure how the night with Nate was going to go for her, but he knew the instant she actually answered the phone that things had not gone as planned.

"Wasn't it?" she almost screeched. He bled for her pain.

"I bet you even encouraged him with it," she goaded, finding a target to object her pain on. "I bet you tempted him time and time again, because Serena's so beautiful and free and she was unattainable, and—"

"Stop."

She cried into the phone. "I _hate_ you, Chuck! It was _you_, you did this to me! You caused all this…" her words broke out into sobs and the anger she'd finally formed broke out into sadness again. At the height of her madness she'd been so prepared to hang up on him and isolate herself from the three people she'd always been closest with. Now she feared the very thought of him leaving her, of Chuck hanging up the phone.

When her sobs ceased and all that could be heard was her uneven breathing, he spoke again. "I'll be there with the limo in ten." He did not leave room to argue and she did not try to take any.

"Okay," she said in one heightened sobbing breath. Her head bobbed up and down in one soft, almost unnoticeable gesture.

_**Click.**_

__The plan, he reflected, was to go to Blair's penthouse and comfort her, remind her she was important to him and that she mattered. He didn't know if she'd go through reckless means to make her feel better, or _worse_, whichever was the case. His decision shifted very abruptly when he told her he was coming though. When he got there, he went up and retrieved her.

She was trying so very hard to be brave. It broke his heart – the one that he (and everyone else) insisted he didn't have – to see her so crestfallen. There was no way she could have managed to force her Queen Bee attitude on him, but she wasn't about to get teary-eyed on him either. She had dried her tears and even applied some make-up to cover what might have looked like a sobbing face. He hated that she felt she had to cover herself up from him, that he would need the pristine, "on top of it" Blair to still stay with her.

"You don't have to pretend with me, Blair," he said very quietly while they were riding the elevator down. She avoided his gaze a little while longer, her form noticeably in the back right corner instead of in the left where he was.

"Thank-you, Chuck," she said, looking up to him several floors later. "I needed someone tonight." He nodded briefly in response and turned to look back at the elevator doors. He knew she wouldn't want him to stare at her, to feel his pity, even if she was too far gone to gather up enough pride to hate him for it. When they reached the lobby floor, he wrapped his arm around her upper back and guided her towards the building's entrance.

The too warm shawl she'd wrapped around her shoulders before leaving was quickly discarded once she reached Chuck's suite, Chuck two steps behind her. She had charged fiercely towards the suite but now that she was in the middle of it, she seemed lost again. He looked at her sadly and then guided her towards the bar. She seemed hesitant at first but then found herself collapsing on the stool standing just underneath the extended bar counter. Chuck moved behind it and pulled out two empty glasses, filling them both half-way with scotch. Blair didn't resist another second, downing it almost instantaneously. Chuck's eyes widened a little in surprise. His face shown half amusement-half surprise when her face contorted into a burning regret to the effects of the beverage traveling down her throat.

"More," she made out in a bit of a squeaky voice.

"Are you sure?" he asked, suppressing a chuckle. Her eyes, teary-eyed from the alcohol looked up at him.

"_Yes_," she said, determination in her heavy stare. He shook his head but reached for the bottle of scotch again and refilled her glass. He covered his hand over her glass when it was half-way to her mouth again.

"Slow. It burns," he told her, as if she had forgotten the incident that had torn up her throat only moments earlier. Her eyebrows fused, almost as if she did not understand. "To friendship," he raised his glass, hoping the switch in topic would distract her. _Another route_, he decided.

A sarcastic smirk slid onto her chapped lips and she clinked her glass with his.

"Ours at least," she murmured.

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this! Please review! =D Oh, and if you didn't guess, this story goes along the same events as the actual 1x01-1x07 episodes from the show, just with a few alterations in the dynamics of the CB relationship. So, the scenes from the episodes (at least regarding NSCB) that I don't specifically write in depth about, I'll try to mention but it's probably a good idea for you to know what happened in the actual episodes. ;p

I'll try to update soon! Reviews always help. ;D


	3. Breaking the Surface

A/N: This is going to be a long chapter. You've been warned. Sorry it took me so long to update, but if you've been keeping up with my other writings, you know that I haven't been completely absent from updates. Lol. This chapter is the remainder of 1x01. Enjoy and please review.

*I do not own Gossip Girl or Chuck and Blair, unfortunately. :'(

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**Ch.3—Breaking the Surface**

He would have yawned when he woke up if he had not been keenly aware of a sleeping – non-whore – body snuggled beside him. His eyes widened at the figure of Blair Waldorf beside him. Inwardly he panicked until almost immediately after when he realized she was still wearing clothing and it was nothing of his, just the clothes in which she'd come in with. He could not even remember a single kiss they might have shared. He sighed in relief. Despite her drunkenness, he had kept to his single moral of loyalty and not slept with the incredibly hot girlfriend of Nate Archibald.

"Mmm," she moaned against him, tucking her face deeper into his chest.

"Come on, Waldorf, let's get something to—"

Her eyes opened and widened in shock upon hearing his voice. She sprung up from her comfortable position and turned to look at Chuck's amused expression. Her eyebrows narrowed and she repeatedly smacked him on his chest.

"Hey, hey!" he recoiled a little to save himself from possible bruises. She scrambled away quickly, examined herself and sighed in relief – just as he had done – on realizing the familiarity of her clothing.

"You got me drunk!" she accused, pointing a dangerous finger in his direction. It was the only plausible excuse she could come up with. He rolled his eyes and stood to his feet.

"I believe you did that on your own, princess."

She scoffed, propping a hand on her hip. "Who poured the drink?" she raised an eyebrow. He looked her dead in the face, not saying a word. The silence alone gave her all the answer she needed. "I knew it," she spat, turning around and moving cautiously about the room in search of her purse.

"Who was I to reject your request?" he offered casually, moving towards the bar and pouring himself a glass of scotch. She was about to retort with a craftily concocted come-back when she saw what he was doing and just muttered a "_figures"_ as she continued to search the room that suddenly appeared to be much more cluttered than it had the night before.

It occurred to her then that she was still in her lingerie – meant for Nate. The thought made her eyes widen for a moment until she reminded herself that she was indeed wearing clothes over it, and it wasn't exactly like Chuck hadn't seen her in it alone. She had just felt so much more uncomfortable in that situation.

"Would you like something to…" he paused, waited for her to turn her head and look up at him from her stance across the room, "drink?" he asked cockily, smirking as he held up his own glass of scotch and took a sip. Her eyes narrowed and she glared at him.

"I think I'll pass," she said dryly, though crossing the room nonetheless and taking a seat on the bar stool opposite him.

"Oh, but why?" he teased, "You were so eager for it last night." She looked up at him and glared again. She tried very hard not to look tense, but she suddenly was very much so. "It eases the tension," his voice lowered to that of seduction as he reached out for her hand on the marble counter. She snapped it away, though did not make any attempt to retreat from the stool.

"Water will do," she said. He continued to smirk but nodded and retrieved her some water. She took it greedily from his hands just moments after it had been filled to the brink and drank it in a single gulp. He raised his eyebrows but said nothing. The two drank in silence for awhile and then finally Chuck broke it, his loyalty knocking him over the head with its insistence.

"Blair, about Nate…"

"Don't." Her eyes pierced his as they looked up at him, but he could see the vulnerable – still hurt gaze that filled them.

"You guys have been dating for as long as I can remember," he continued, searching her now downcast face for answers. "It'd be a shame just to throw it all away for the sake of—"

"Him screwing my best friend, the one who always gets everything so easily, while drunk at a wedding?" she raised her eyebrows in anger, and for half a second Chuck wondered if he should have traveled down this road. He knew it was the right thing to do but there was no doubt in him now that he was going to get beat up along the way.

"We were supposed to lose it together…our _virginity_," she said with shifty, sad eyes. Chuck said nothing, having lost his virginity long ago. He tried to understand where she was coming from. It hadn't been sacred in the least when he had done it. In fact, he was beginning to worry about the girl sitting across from him who insisted on the perfect happy ending, the perfect love life, the perfect everything. _How would she ever be happy?_

"He didn't look overly thrilled when he left last night, did he?"

"I _made_ him leave," she countered, remembering the pain in her _"Get out!"_ she'd delivered through tears to Nate the night before.

"Still, he didn't look happy that you were…distraught, right?"

Her eyes flicked to his. "He's not _evil_, Chuck. He's just a _cheater_."

"My point exactly," he said. "This is the first time he's cheated, and I'm sure he doesn't plan on doing it again. He…" he hesitated, "he loves you, B. And he was drunk when it happened. Maybe you should try to work things out."

She sighed, tracing a finger around the rim of her glass.

"And you love him too, remember."

She looked back up at him. "Yes," she breathed. He saw the tears forming in her eyes again and immediately felt guilty for making her talk about what had happened, even if it was the right thing to do.

"So, go," he inclined his head to the far side of the room, and Blair noticed that her purse was lying lop-sided in the direction he'd gestured to. A half-smirk slid onto her face. "Call him," he said. "I'm sure he regrets it."

Her eyes sparkled suddenly when she looked back at him. She slid off the bar stool. "Okay," she said, "thanks Chuck." She bit her lip softly as she made her way across the room to her purse and fished out her phone to call her very recent ex-boyfriend.

Chuck raised his glass to her and watched warily as she sped through the contact list in her phone and found Nate's number. She turned towards the covered windows and began to talk, a little nervously. He watched her intently, hoping Nate would take to the idea instantly. Somehow he figured there would need to be some coercing.

_Mental Note: Convince Archibald sleeping with Serena was a huge mistake._

* * *

The tiled floor looked as sickeningly beautiful as it had the last time she'd been there. Of course it'd been a great deal of time since she'd been in this particular bathroom, but she had no trouble adjusting. The sound of shuffling and then a flush informed her that there was another person in the scented room. She made a detour to the mirror and made to be fixing her hair and examining her make-up until the individual left. Then she would lock the door.

Just a couple minutes later the woman was gone. Blair turned the lock clockwise until it clicked and then she slowly turned back for the mirror. She saw every imperfection in her face, in her body. She hadn't eaten much since her glass of water earlier that morning, but it didn't seem to matter this time. She had eaten enough. Her lunch with Nate hadn't gone as planned. Maybe he had tried to apologize but she laid down all the rules and he simply nodded in agreement. She probably forced a smile once or twice. An angry hurt glare no doubt slid its way into how she looked at him, but soon that was gone as well. The lunch did not last long. She only ate a fourth of her salad and a few sips of her lemon water. She thought Nate might look a bit forlorn, a bit regretful for what he'd done, but she couldn't be sure. She couldn't be sure of anything except how hurt she still felt and how ugly she looked in that mirror. _Who would ever want her? _

She turned around and looked achingly at the half-open doors to the stalls filled with gloriously cold toilets. _It'd been so long since she'd_… Without thinking she walked towards the one directly in front of her and bent down on her knees, locking the small lock inside the stall. Her little black purse sat softly on the floor at the base of the porcelain goddess. In one hand she held back her hair and with the other hand she plunged a finger down her throat until she gagged and any and all substance came up through her throat and out of her mouth. She tipped her face over the open pit of water just in time.

Several retches later, Blair sat breathing heavily, unevenly, against the metal wall of the small bathroom stall. She reached for a tissue to wipe off any remains or evidence from her face. She could still taste the remains in her throat and it was the most disgustingly wonderful thing she'd ever tasted. _She had forgotten._ She was about to get to her feet and leave the sanctuary, but the ringtone emanating from her cell phone caught her attention. Almost instantaneously any energy that had revived itself inside her diminished. There was no one she knew that she really wanted to talk to.

**CHUCK CALLING.**

She groaned. _Him? Again? _She didn't want to talk to him. He always knew too much. With a sigh though, she picked up the phone.

"Yes?" she asked, trying to sound like the pretty girl she was trying to become…_someone striking like Serena._

His eyebrows narrowed instantly. "Please don't tell me you did it again." His voice was low and dangerous. Her lips parted.

"The lunch was fine," she said, her eyebrows narrowing in confusion, though she knew very well what he was referring to. "We ate, we left, and now we're back together. It seems you were right all along. He did regret it," she chirped cheerily.

Chuck almost scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. _He didn't._

"How _much_ did you eat?" he asked, almost as a threat. He softened when she responded in nothing but silence. "Blair?" he prodded.

"You have no _right_," she began, clearly angry. He could tell her teeth were grinding against each other. It was a personal boundary, he knew, one that was never supposed to be crossed. Fortunate for him, he'd crossed it before.

"I'm coming," he said, before she could say another word.

"Chuck, no," she insisted, making her voice light and cheery again. "I'm fine. Really." For half a second she believed maybe she had thwarted his efforts.

"If I have to, I will bring my own key."

She blinked, sighed, told herself she should have known better. He hung up on her but she knew she would not be rid of him so easily, with just the click of a button. She folded over her phone and dropped it back into her purse. She stood to her feet, flushed the toilet and exited the stall. Standing in front of the mirror, she did not see any real differences, but she felt like the process of improvement had sped up a little in just doing what she did. She touched up her makeup, played around with her hair and plopped a mint into her mouth. When Chuck called again twenty minutes later, she looked as if nothing was wrong.

She could have sworn his hazel brown eyes had turned into a fiery red when he spotted her walking out of the bathroom all prim and proper. Anyone passing by would think she didn't have a care in the world and was just spending her Saturday out and about, pausing for a lunch at a classy yet casual restaurant. Chuck's angry glare diminished all those possibilities.

"Hello, Chuck," she smiled wide, her lips pressed against each other. He saw that the expression did not reach her eyes. He turned briefly away from her and gestured towards the limo outside. She rolled her eyes and dutifully followed the trail to the long, sleek vehicle.

"Tell me what happened," he demanded once they'd settled in and were at least a block away. Blair looked around the limo, everywhere but at him, especially out the window.

"Thanks for the ride, Chuck. I'm sure you came sooner than my own car service ever good," she smiled briefly at him. _Fake_, he knew.

"Blair." His voice was angry.

"It's still comfortable in here like I remember," she continued, oblivious to the fuming volcano beside her. "I'm sure everyone will enjoy such a luxury tonight when we go to the party," she chirped.

"Blair."

"Serena won't be there, unfortunately," she shrugged a shoulder. Sarcasm laced every word she said. "I know you've been trying to rape her for years," she chuckled lightly.

"_Blair_," he stretched his hand out and gripped her wrist hard. For the first time she seemed to really recognize his presence on a deeper level. A flash of true emotion raced across her face when their eyes met and he knew he'd been given the opening he needed.

"Blair," he said again, much softer this time. She sighed uneasily and swallowed hard.

"I'll get over it," she said weakly. "He'll regret it over time. I don't intend on letting Serena get anywhere near him, he loves me, like you said. He wouldn't do anything."

Chuck's eyes searched hers desperately. She could hardly stand how intense they were, how much they demanded _more_. She nodded slowly.

"Yes, Chuck, I did it."

He fell back into the seat, releasing her hand and closing his eyes briefly in order to control his anger. His fists clenched at his sides. She was not scared but she could not predict what he was going to do next and that worried her. She guessed he could not predict it either and that gave her some comfort.

"You're beautiful," he said quietly, finally looking back at her. If she was not mistaken, she thought she almost saw tears in his eyes. Her lips parted.

"_What?_" she asked, as if she had not heard him correctly.

"You're beautiful," he said, "hotter than anyone I've ever slept with." She rolled her eyes at the comment. "And Nate's an idiot. _Please_ don't do it again," he pleaded with her. She thought she'd never seen such desperation in him for anything before, not even in regards to gaining the love and respect of his father. She couldn't tell him an absolute answer, because she honestly didn't know herself if something might push her over the edge again and make her relapse. But right then she believed maybe this _was_ it. The concern in his eyes pulled her as far away from the edge as she could go.

"Okay," she said earnestly. Chuck visibly relaxed.

* * *

The vision of herself in the full-length mirror no longer held its appeal. She had loved the dress she'd had on before and she'd changed it in an instant after some subtle flattery from her mother, only to be dirtied once more by the comment on more imperfection. She wondered why she did not spend all her time gouging out her life over the precipice of a toilet.

"Miss Blair," she heard her maid calling to her.

"Yes, Dorota?" she asked. The aggravation she held did not shine through her voice but she knew it would the moment she saw the individual clad in a dark suit in her doorway.

"Mr. Chuck here to see you," Dorota suddenly said, rushing up just behind Chuck. She sighed. "He not wait for me announce his…arrival."

Blair nodded in understanding. "It's okay, Dorota. He can stay." The flustered maid nodded and slowed her pace as she flitted off to her next chore.

"How very generous of you," he smirked, walking into her bedroom. Blair rolled her eyes as she contemplated what to do with her hair. Chuck looked about the room, halting his gaze when he spotted a satin dress lying pristinely on Blair's bed.

"No offense—"

"None taken," she said, immersed in her own image.

"I like the dress here on the bed better," he remarked. She turned around to look at it briefly and then hung it back up in her closet.

"I do too," she said quickly, hastening her pace to the bathroom. His eyebrows narrowed and he followed her, leaning on the new doorframe. He did not ask questions.

"This one's nice too."

She said nothing, all her attention still focused entirely on what to do with her hair. She spotted the solution her mother had insisted on and fixed the ends of her hair. She would have to avoid her mother before she left, she decided, or there would be one _more_ suggestion to alter her appearance. Blair just wanted to get _out_.

She heard Chuck clear his throat and her eyes briefly flitted to his. He lowered his gaze to his hand and she found a few bobby pins lying in his palm. She looked at him questioningly, her eyes full of suspicion.

"Part-way," he said, as if that explained everything. Of course she was well attuned to his subtle suggestions. She took the pins from his hand and put them to her hair, using them to hold her long locks in a combed back halfway up-do. She smirked for a moment before reapplying her make-up and finding herself very well pleased with her own appearance. The warning flashed in the back of her head again though. She would have to avoid her mother at all costs.

"Perfect," Chuck said when she turned to look at him. He had been smirking from the moment her lips had curved in the slightest twitch but she had been lost in her world of satisfaction. The victorious smirk actually reached her eyes and Chuck gave himself a mental pat on the back for having achieved such an accomplishment.

"Naturally," she shrugged shoulder, strutting out of the bathroom with a sway of her hips as she contemplated which shoes she would wear to the event. Chuck watched her curves as they exited the bathroom and for a moment got extremely aroused. He had to suppress an almost animal-like growl that was emanating up from his stomach.

Initially, Blair hadn't been overly pleased at Chuck's appearance a few minutes earlier. He had saved her from everything since she'd found out about Nate's betrayal, and as much as it made her feel better, Chuck couldn't be trusted and being constantly taken care of made her feel weak. Despite this irritancy, she found herself not caring once he'd settled into her vicinity, which all in all did not take very long. He made her feel better, _beautiful_. It was almost as if he was _her_ best friend, instead of Nate's. She did not know why, but the idea made her giddy – _inwardly_.

"Well, despite the dress…" she rolled her eyes, begging in her mind that he'd just finish his perverted comment. "…you look absolutely stunning." She looked up at him, baffled, and for a significant amount of time could not find the words to speak. Finally she cleared her throat.

"I think you're getting soft on me, Bass," she murmured, crossing the room once more in search for her velvet clutch. Chuck noticed that the purse was just behind him on a chair. He shook his head at the ironic way he had in finding Blair's purses. He cleared his throat and she glanced up at him, suspiciously watching the way he grabbed her purse and held it out to her. She could not find a decent comeback to his strange behavior however, and so just shook her head, grabbed the device and rummaged through it until she was sure everything was where it should be.

"Is Nate in the limo?" she asked offhandedly, like the name itself had not caused her more pain than she'd ever imagined in the last twenty-four hours. Chuck tried not to dwell on it too long. Now was not the time to analyze her and have a heart-to-heart about what feelings she was trying to deny simply for the sake of appearance.

He nodded once. "I picked him up right before I came."

Blair halted in her actions and turned to him, looking suddenly very distraught and confused. "_He_ didn't want to come up to get me himself?" Her head tilted to the side. Chuck's breath caught in his throat.

"He did, but I wanted you more," he said, smoothly switching the subject to a possible desire for her. He pulled her body flush up against him and her breaths became shallow. The deep brown of her eyes widened as she considered what he was really saying. He analyzed her face and then came to the same conclusion. "…to get you, I mean," he smirked to cover his panic. A smile sparkled across his lips and he felt an intense relief pass through him like the cool breeze tempting them from outside.

She pushed him away and turned the lights in her bedroom off as she headed towards the grand staircase. "Well, we better go then, Bass. He might be getting suspicious." She laughed lightly and Chuck shook his head, chuckling a little as well. He ignored the nagging somewhere deep inside of him of what would be so bad if Nate _did_ get suspicious, or more specifically, if he had reason to.

* * *

"Remind me to never hit on girls from Brooklyn," he said, taking the ice that he'd refused a million times and putting it just under his eye. Like it or not, the pain was starting to set it.

Blair raised her eyes in amusement. "Something you'd like to share?" she folded her arms across her chest. "I thought you looked particularly aggravated when Serena and that nobody left." She analyzed his expression. He was silent for quite some time.

The party had gone on for another hour or so – give or take – and Chuck decided he would take any wanderers home. He had caught sight of Nate drinking his woes away and figured the confused boy would end up at his suite at the end of the night. Kati and Is found their own way and that left only Blair. She would have been more resistant if the thought of both she and Chuck being pissed at Serena when she left hadn't pleased her so.

"I think her name was…Jenny?" he asked in a dazed state. Blair's eyebrows were still clear at the top of her forehead.

"Ah yes, freshman," she smirked as Chuck nodded.

"So, I was informed. Kati and Is told me."

"She's a pretty little thing, isn't she?" Blair continued smirking. Chuck nodded numbly.

"Yes, and she's also got a nobody older brother who likes to throw punches," he sighed, "it's not like I was _planning_ on raping her. She was _supposed_ to like it too."

"Oh, because when you would ditch her the next day and then refuse to acknowledge the incident, her brother would feel much better and keep his hands to himself?" she asked, blinking her eyes innocently. Chuck scoffed but then the irritation slipped off his face and he offered her a flute of champagne which she took gladly.

"You looked like you were having fun too," he remarked, wondering immediately afterwards if he should have made a joke out of her fragile secrets. She did not appear to be suddenly disheartened by the comment.

"Besides Serena showing up, it was marvelous. Nate was wonderful throughout, though he did seem to disappear quite often," she sighed, dismissing the possibility that it could have had to do with Serena. He _had_ seemed so sincere to her that afternoon, even if she still was not inclined to believe it.

Chuck nodded subtly, glad somehow that this time he had not kept his eye on Nate throughout the entire party, and therefore wouldn't be hiding anything for Blair that she might want or need to know. That little blonde tramp had caught his attention, playing the innocent girl act and then _conveniently_ having her brother in the back corner to deck him in his most favorite location.

"So, no getting laid tonight?" she quirked an eyebrow, feeling very confident in herself. Chuck smirked.

"The hotel maids are always on hand if I should ever…need them."

Blair scrunched up her nose.

"Twenty-four seven," he said slowly and in a seductive air so she'd be sure to hear him.

She rolled her eyes now, disposing of her disgusted expression and shifting quite easily into annoyance. "_Pig_," she muttered.

"Why, thank-you, Blair. I believe that is the nicest thing you've ever said to me." He lazily traced the edges of his jacket. Blair unknowingly smiled. His eyes flicked to her face momentarily and the bubbling in his stomach returned. He blamed it on hunger. He had hardly eaten a thing all day in actuality. The thought of Blair gorging out her half-lunch did not exactly draw him to food.

Blair leaned back against the seat, having not said another word. She closed her eyes and tried her very best to not think of Serena or Nate. Kati and Is were her friends but she knew they'd never measure up to _best friend_ status. Nate was…exhausting. She was going to keep trying with him because she loved him and she really did not want to let him go, especially to Serena. Being with Chuck was soothing, but she knew the moment they reached her house the fairytale would be over and she'd have to return to reality. She would never admit it to anybody, but the night before she had slept the best that she could remember and a strange, aching desire filled her again to feel his arms encircling her once more, holding her close. _They were friends_, she realized, not just interconnected with the right people. And they didn't just scheme to get rid of unwanted individuals. _They were friends_. He wouldn't have come through for her otherwise, despite what excuses her mind came up with.

Chuck was going out of his mind trying to control the sudden urge to kiss Blair Waldorf. He didn't know where it had come from, but the moon glinting so perfectly over her curved figure, and the light sigh delivered from her delectable ruby lips across to him, definitely were not helping things. He could find ways around sleeping with Serena, though now he wondered if he even truly wanted to. Strangely enough he felt very convinced that that would hurt Blair more, despite that they were nothing more than friends and never would be. Serena was not completely out of reach though, and Blair was, and that drove him crazy.

"Chuck?" she asked, turning her head to look at him. He raised his eyebrows in response. The words seemed caught in her throat. He knew after she spoke that it had not been what had originally come to mind. "Your dad's brunch is still tomorrow morning right?"

He sighed subtly and nodded. "Yep. Bright and early," he smirked at her, finding it much easier to control his lust when he wasn't just staring at her and they were actually engaging in conversation.

She nodded and turned away again. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the spell she'd put him under. She was his _friend_, nothing more, nothing less, and if he could help it Nate would see the error of his ways. _Somebody had to send Serena back to boarding school…or destroy her at the very least._

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed! =D Please review! ;p The next chapter is somewhat shorter, so I should be able to update more quickly.


	4. Thrumming Madly

A/N: Okay, I sincerely apologize for taking so long to update, but I got caught up in vidding CB and it claimed me for a whole week. Heheh. I'm beyond nervous for the episode tonight. I've heard everything from 'it's not as bad as people say it is' to 'Chuck's so OOC and crossed a huge line and I'll never be able to forgive him for this twisted course of action'…so…yeah. *gulp* Point being, I'm going to update this and _the Edge_ before the episode tonight, if I can help it. If the episode does cross that awful line and Chuck becomes number one on my _not-so-nice list_, then…I may find myself not very motivated to write CB for awhile. Again. *gulp*

Review! lol (Oh! And please go watch and comment my CB vid on youtube that I made. ;p 'Chuck/Blair – Look After You' by ChuckBlairLuvA. ;p Thanks! =D)

* * *

**Ch.4—Thrumming Madly**

He wasn't by any means early, but the large room still left empty seats for late comers. Amidst the crowd it wasn't hard to spot her. Chatting animatedly to Kati and Is, stood Blair Waldorf in her glory. Nate had been behind him two breaths away. He didn't know where he had gone off too, but mysteriously he was glad the space between himself and Blair Waldorf wasn't interrupted by the know-nothing blonde who couldn't see what was right in front of him.

"Bass," she smirked, looking up at him with a twinkle in her eye. He returned the smug grin and walked casually towards the group. Kati and Is now seemed immersed in themselves and oblivious of the new sprouting conversation.

"Waldorf," he responded, sticking his hands deep into his pockets. "I see you made it, and with such great attire too." His voice was thick and sultry as his eyes traveled up her body from her black stockings to the flower headband sitting atop her head. The white dress she sported matched his suit to perfection and for a moment he let himself think that it had been planned, _that she liked him that much_.

She smiled affectionately with almost a bitchy flare flitting across her softly shaped lips. He couldn't help the swell of happiness that bubbled up inside of him. These last few days had made him so sorrowful over her position, but her now confident attitude made him consider that it might have all been worth it.

She stood her feet and brushed past him. "I see you came fashionably late, as usual."

He turned to face her. "As usual," he said. She shared the smirk with him for only a moment more before she gazed over Chuck's shoulder and a pout formed on her perfect lips. Chuck analyzed her expression, though he had no need to really overdo it. He knew who she was looking for. Still, he let her approach the subject. That subject in particular had been particularly touchy ever since Serena had returned. An annoyance for the blonde temptress built in him again. He wished he had raped her now, had somehow gotten away with it, for more reasons than one.

"Where's Nate?" she asked, her eyes flitting back to his face in a casual, yet demanding, fashion. Chuck shrugged his shoulder.

"He was behind me when I came in. My guess is—" he was cut off by her squeal. Nate walked in and took Blair in his arms, smiling too wide to actually be genuine. Chuck turned around and watched them. He walked up to Nate himself and squeezed his arm.

"I thought you were right behind me, man," he said, squeezing a little tighter than was necessary. Unfortunately, Nate did not seem to notice.

"Oh, I was. I just…stopped in the bathroom, momentarily," he said, nervous smile on his face. Chuck shook his head and looked at him incredulously when he turned to kiss Blair's cheek. Not only was this boy flat out lying, he was _so_ not into Blair right now. Well, perhaps the first wasn't true. Nate's face did look particularly clean.

"'Looks like it's time to eat," Chuck said dryly. Blair was completely immersed in Nate, but he could see how she continually straightened out her dress or adjusted her curls, still so insecure of herself.

Abruptly both Nate and Blair looked at him. "Right," Nate said, untangling himself from Blair's embrace and walking over to the tables littered with food. Blair looked disappointed but one smirk from Chuck and an eye roll was produced along with the dragging of her feet over to the food tables.

"I'm not going to eat anything, Chuck," she said stiffly, her stubborn side coming out full force when they finally reached the line of people gathering around the food. He gave her a stern look. She sighed dramatically.

"Fine, I'll eat, but not very much."

He still eyed her warily but accepted what she had said. He did not accept however, when she took a fourth of what a normal serving would be for practically everything, which was not very much on her plate.

"Waldorf, take a normal amount," he said, gesturing to his plate, which while not toppling over with endless servings of food, had the generally normal perceived amount. She looked at in disgust.

"It would take me a year to eat all of that," she chuckled, shaking her head. She took a single grape from the next tray and made to walk away. He grabbed a hold of her elbow before she could get too far and pulled her back to the dwindling line.

"More," he insisted. She pouted, her eyebrows driving a line clear down the front of her forehead, but he did not back down. When she made no move to put further food on her place. He retrieved some food on his own, without letting go, and plopped it down on her plate. She was tense now, and he wanted to loosen his grip on her but knew it wouldn't do either of them any good. She would dispose of her plate immediately.

"Your mother isn't around," he whispered in her ear softly. She visibly relaxed. He wasn't smiling at her when he released her arm and she didn't take even a second to glance in his direction after she'd been freed. But she didn't take any of the food off of her plate. She ate it all, and no one said anything. Eleanor was not in the room all throughout, and soon Blair was laughing with the lot of them, and for no particular reason too. The happiness in him swelled again.

Unfortunately, the happy little bubble he'd created for the two of them burst on instant when she spotted Serena Van der Woodsen and the nobody she'd left with the night before standing in the entry to the grand room. She stared at her incredulously, but Chuck just smirked. _This was going to be fun. This was revenge._ He knew Blair would not hesitate to take the bait.

* * *

The key exchange was perfect. Serena's humiliation and disposing of the nobody were accomplished swimmingly. He had been pushed once _again_ by said nobody, but this time he didn't come out looking like the bad guy and he found that amusing. So did Blair.

Still, after the glory scars had gone and it was just him, Blair and Nate, he knew the wounds had not healed. Nate had defended Serena, if nothing else, through his looks. He looked more concerned for Serena's downfall than how affected Blair still was by the whole situation, even if she did not show it. It was by pure miracle that Chuck happened to persuade the blonde to spend some time with Blair.

_"You've got to be kidding me, right?" He scoffed. "You saw what she did to Serena!"_

_ "Yeah, and I also saw what both of you did to Blair. You seem to have forgotten. Shall I remind you?" He looked pointedly at him as he leaned back against the marble wall._

_ "No," he muttered. Chuck's eyebrows fused._

_ "I know all you want is Serena."_

_ Nate's eyes flitted to his._

_ "But all Blair wants is you. If you're going to stay her boyfriend, then you have to act like her boyfriend. You're so fake with her, like you're imprisoned—"_

_ "I am!" he said, lowering his voice when Chuck motioned with his hand to do so. Apparently some people had wandered into the hotel by then and were slightly alarmed. "I am," he said more quietly. _

_ "Then, why do you stay with her?"_

_ Nate closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He seemed in some deep, desperate frustration, as if having a war with himself. "There are reasons," he said, his eyes hesitantly meeting Chuck's. His best friend was anything but amused._

_ "Like?" he asked, trying his very best to keep the venom out of his voice._

_ "Like…"_

_ "…you love her," Chuck answered for him, hoping his best friend was not going to deny the statement. _

_ "Serena said I should get back together with her, because she loves me, like you said."_

_ Chuck's eyes remained affixed on Nate's. He was glad he hadn't denied his original statement. For the moment he decided that meant it might be true._

_ "Is that all?" he drawled, holding in the frustration seething inside of him by a lazy gesture of his hand. Nate seemed to be developing a sweat on his forehead._

_ "And…my parents are very for this relationship. I think they may be even desperate for it. I think maybe something is going on that I don't know about, and it's probably really bad." He looked up at Chuck. He couldn't stand the vulnerable eyes that greeted him. They were almost watering, and Chuck knew he had softened immediately at the thought of Nate in familial jeopardy._

_ "What do you know?" he asked, cursing himself for switching off Blair from the conversation. But Nate was first and foremost, and he was concerned._

_ "Nothing," he shook his head. "But my parents have been fighting a lot and they always get particularly quiet when they see me or aware that I'm listening. They're always forcing get-togethers with the Waldorf's, and I just know there's something they're not telling me."_

_ Chuck nodded slowly. He knew he couldn't force Blair on Nate now, knowing his best friend's predicament. Not only would it be not nice, it would be torturous and offending. He would wonder which side he was really on. He couldn't have that._

_ The lavish princess saved him in that uneasy moment. She walked slowly out into the hall where the two stood and talked. She looked between the two of them, clearly feeling awkward._

_ "I'm going home," she said, her voice so small. It killed Chuck to see her like this. He had seen her like this so often. It wasn't fair. He wanted to part his lips and force some sort of encouragement while remaining his old self, but couldn't find a single word in his mind that would pass off as good enough for her. All he could do was shoot a warning glance at Nate when Blair looked away. _

_ "I'll come with you," he said hastily, causing her to stop dead in her tracks. She obviously was trying to cover up her surprise but it was hard to miss on her face. Chuck appreciated the small glimpse of partial hope that shined ever so briefly on her face. _

_ "Okay," she said softly, her voice not so small. She did not expect Nate to hold her hand or even guide her out of the hotel, but he did. A wonderful warming feeling filled her. She was still hurting from it all, and she knew she had not forgiven him or had moved past the incident like she'd insisted on a few days earlier. _

_ Nate looked back at Chuck just before they passed through the revolving doors. Chuck was studying him, clearly approving of his actions, but unsure if the right motivation was behind them. In all honesty, Nate didn't know if there was good motivation, but he did know that Chuck was right. If he was going to be Blair's boyfriend, he couldn't make her out to be the mistake and not Serena – at least not to her face. _

He should be enjoying this moment. Hot slut nursing his wounds. Staring down at the destruction of Serena Van der Woodsen on his phone. It was not the end of the torment he would deliver on that blonde, but for now it was enough. Still, he was aggravated. Things had not finished according to plan. Nate was not staying with Blair for the right reasons. He was staying out of obligation. He didn't love her anymore, and if he did, it was blocked out by his blinding fascination for Serena. Blair deserved so much better. Chuck couldn't give it to her, but somebody should be able to. The fact that there was no one infuriated him to no end.

What made him even more furious was the selfish desire that refused to go away and had been plaguing him since Nate had left with Blair. She would consider Nate now. He had gone with her, and she would consider the idea that maybe he was truly sorry. She wouldn't need Chuck to call on her and ask her if she was alright and thus comfort her if she wasn't. Tonight she had Nate.

Chuck wished that didn't make him mad.

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A/N: I know…not too many actual CB moments, but…yes. Lol. Review! hehe


	5. Bad Boy Untamed

A/N: Apologies. My vidding inspiration has dominated my writing inspiration recently. But today I felt inspired enough to write up this chapter. I'm guessing it's because I just finished a vid yesterday and feel satisfied with it. =) Enjoy.

*I own nothing.

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**Ch.5—Bad Boy Untamed**

_"So this is your bed, huh?"_

It just slipped out. He didn't know why it affected him so much or why he began to sweat. He had said vulgar, perverse things to her before. She was left unaffected, just as he had always been. It was just part of who he was and she had accepted that. What's more, he knew what the answer to his question was going to be. _Leave._ For a fraction of a second though, he imagined a different response. That was his first mistake.

"Leaving, _now_." Her face scrunched up into a look of disgust and irritancy. That was his cue, along with said Blair Waldorf snatching back the item of clothing he'd managed to get his hands on. The silky material slipped through his fingers with ease. He did not even try to keep a hold on it.

Annoyed, he turned away from her and proceeded to exit her room.

"You can repay me another time."

She didn't wait for the sound of the door closing or Chuck's feet making their way down the distant staircase. For a brief moment she thought back on the whole interaction, but she brushed past it once she reminded herself of all the material that had been gathered on Serena (a.k.a. _ex_-best friend). She grinned mischievously as she looked on the computer and scanned over the video Chuck had transferred to her computer. She noticed then that he had left his phone sitting on her desk. She sighed, picking it up.

Her lips pursed as she contemplated what to do. In all honesty, the decision was of little importance. It wasn't like it'd be forever until they next saw each other. She'd simply keep it in a safe spot and then return it to him when she next went to school, or perhaps sooner, at the Ivy League Mixer. The decision was settled, and it would be the farthest thing from her mind as soon as she disposed of it somewhere in her room. Without thinking, she placed the device into her undergarment drawer and turned back around, only to see Chuck Bass, still there, leaning against the doorframe to her bedroom, thick, smug smile on his face.

"I must say, Waldorf, I do _so_ approve of your choice location for my _package_."

Her eyes narrowed. The second meaning was not lost on her. "You're hei—" she began to say, desperately grappling for the drawer's handle, finding his phone on sight and chucking it at him. Unfortunately, in her embarrassed and hasty state, she had not stopped long enough to deliver the device coolly. With his phone came two sets of panties and a black, lacy bra. Her eyes widened in shock and horror. She was glued to her spot on the floor, unable to even retort to the returned delicious victory smirk on Chuck's cocky face. After what felt like an unhealthy length in silence, Blair snapped back to her senses and swept across the room in a few large strides. She gathered up her things, and shaking like a madwoman, though somehow completely subtle, moved to put them back in her drawer. She was prepared to yell or scream or slam the door in his face and pray to God that the horrendous occurrence would not be brought up anytime soon. She knew that possibility was the most unlikely one ever, but it didn't mean she wouldn't continue to plead for her sanity any less.

Unfortunately for her, Chuck grabbed her slender form and pulled it flush up against him before she had a chance to take more than a single step away from him in order to put away her…_things_. She gasped and swallowed hard, once again reacting too late in her plight to get away. He pulled her closer still and held her tight in his grasp.

"Reconsidering my offer?" he breathed hotly in her ear. Her instincts flooded back, and one of the heels she'd refused to take off now slammed into his foot. He muffled a cry of pain and released her. She sighed cheerfully in accomplishment, all nerve-wracking emotions successfully hidden once again, and calmly walked across the room to put her bra and panties away. When she'd turned around to face him, he was still wincing in pain. She raised an eyebrow, amused and folded her arms across her chest. Then she made to walk towards him, bent down to pick up his phone and held it out to him.

"I believe this is yours," she said, the look in her eye and the smirk on her face shouting _bitch_ like none other. He eyed the device and glared momentarily at her before his face eased into an equal smirk. She did not look to be affected in the least but only waited for him to take it. She decided not to inform him that the event that had just taken place would be spoken of to no one. That would only give him more leverage.

Finally, Chuck took the phone, his fingers lingering on her hand a little too long. Then he looked up at her, his cocky expression nowhere close to dissipated and now it annoyed her. She rolled her eyes and walked back to her computer.

"Leave," she said again, her tone blasé. He looked at her amused. When she could still feel his presence in her room about a minute later, she turned to face him and leaned back in her chair slightly, her fingers curling around the back of it. "What?" she asked. "Do you need me to walk you to the door?"

His smirk widened. _God, she hated how it could do that. _"I think I can manage," he winked, and this time completed the exit out of her room and the penthouse all together. She sighed in relief when she heard the elevator ding and then close. In one frantic movement, she scanned the room to see if he'd left any of his other things he might return for. Relief swept over her once again when she realized there was nothing. She turned her head back to the computer screen and focused on her evil plot to destroy Serena. It was the only thing strong enough to erase the heated sensation she'd felt when Chuck held her tight against him and his tantalizingly warm skin caused her to feel more desperate for sex than anytime she'd ever thought of giving her virginity to Nate.

* * *

The Mixer appeared to be a blazing success. It had only started about an hour ago, but from Chuck's point of view. All was as it should be. Blair was in full bitch mode in regards to outwitting and outmaneuvering any attempt on civil conversation from Serena, though most of it was in the direction of the college representatives. It had not been long ago that he carefully switched the representative he was _shadowing_ to the hot Princeton feline. The woman looked like a vixen beneath the professional clothing, and he could only imagine what fun he'd have taking it off later on. However the raw, typical desire he held for her did nothing to block out the reminder of the throbbing cock he'd developed earlier at the Waldorf residence.

He hadn't known what exactly had transpired between them, or inside _him_ at the very least earlier that day. He had certainly been amused when Blair's undergarments came flying at him with his cell phone, but the fact that his phone had even been placed amongst those delectable little items was beyond him. Plus, the feel of Blair Waldorf's body pulled rough against him gave off a much different air than when he'd hold her just for comfort – and get away with it. He enjoyed the feeling far too much, and, as selfish as it was, decided he needed something to redirect the ways in which he was feeling for the brunette.

_"Can you please explain why Serena's commandeering the Yale rep while you're supposed to be his usher?" Her tone sounded extremely unpleasant, and with good reason. He'd agreed to be the Yale rep to serve in Blair's purposes of taking down Serena. But the early afternoon had overwhelmed him and he needed a different focus. His eyes remained on the vixen rep just a little ways into the distance, eyeing his like a desirous fox. He deeply desired to tap that ass. _

_"I switched," he paused, his eyes still lingering on the Princeton rep for another moment until he turned his face to Blair. "I'm trying to get into Princeton." She did not look pleased in the least, and he wondered for a moment if this alternative route was the best after all. "Look, don't get your La Perlas in a bunch." He turned her away once he spotted the final piece to the puzzle that would make her heart soar. "Look who's arrived."_

_Her face lit up. A man of around forty or so, with graying hair and a matching suit began to approach them. She walked forward, hardly noticing Chuck's existence now and stretched forth her hand to greet him. _

_"Dr. Ostroff," she thought she heard Chuck say. "Blair, Dr. Donald Ostroff." He introduced them. The brunette's eyes sparkled with evil intent._

_"Such a pleasure," she said, shaking his hand. "I've heard such wonderful things…"_

_And then she was off. Chuck smiled, feeling truly accomplished with the experience. Blair was in the highest of moods and he had an inevitable lay to encourage somewhere across the outside gathering. He should've been on top of cloud nine, on all levels._

But he wasn't.

Something needed to shift his desire for her to his want to make her feel better. _God, even that made him sound pathetic. Since when did he care? _The pounding in his chest told him all that he needed to know, even if he would ignore it. _Always. _Nonetheless, his eyes scanned the crowd and he found Serena trying to talk to Nate, and surprisingly enough the blonde boy was not giving into the temptation. Chuck found himself oddly proud at the sight.

_So, Nathaniel's decided to follow through on his promises, eh? Damn._

Without warning, and unbeknownst to him, the seductive vixen he'd been eyeing across the courtyard slipped up behind him and whispered something naughty in his ear. Chuck tensed, and for the first time in his life felt uncomfortable with the passing of words. He turned his head away from the sight of Nate and Serena cautiously and placed his Bass smirk coyly on his lips.

"I think we should wait until after the ceremony," he said wryly, eyeing her figure briefly and taking a sip of the scotch he'd obtained. _Where the hell was Blair? Not that he wanted to be distracted…_

"The ceremony?" the woman asked, arching an eyebrow. Somewhere in the back of Chuck's mind, he thought the movement was hot. He continued to smirk, a few pearly white teeth peeking out from behind full lips.

"Yes," he said slowly, raking his eyes over her face, his gaze drifting downwards. The woman was smirking seductively and abruptly he changed the subject. "What would you say my chances are of getting into Princeton?"

Her eyes sparkled with lust and took a dangerous step closer to him. He could feel the heat, the sexual tension between them and it excited his senses. He began to harden. "Very good," she said, her lips inches from his. Now his eyes were flaming with desire and she seemed to be quite aware of that fact, stepping away and mingling with the rest of the crowd. She turned back and looked at him once more.

"After the ceremony then," he murmured to himself, trying to push the thought aside until later. He had to focus on…_other_ things.

"You said you'd never speak to her," Blair's demanding hushed voice was heard behind him. His eyes widened as he became faintly aware of what had transpired.

"I _didn't_ speak to her, Blair. She came on to me!"

_Ooo, poor choice of words, Nathaniel._ He winced.

She scoffed and crossed her arms across her chest. "_Really?_ Because my eyes and my minions, and _Chuck_ tell a different story."

Now his eyes really widened. _What? I didn't tell her anything. _

"What?" Nate asked, confused, and clearly having the same thought pattern. "What does Chuck have to do with this? You know he can't be trusted with these things. He probably just said that to irritate you."

Her eyes narrowed. "You don't know _anything_," she said coldly, and stiffly walked away. Chuck felt a warm feeling pool in his stomach. _Had she just defended him?_ Nate looked pretty shook up, and that's when Chuck turned to face where the two of them had been standing. Nate finally caught his stare, looking like a confused, lost school boy. In that one look he seemed to ask all the questions he'd been trying to answer Blair. Chuck could not find it in himself to look away, but soon enough Nate snapped back to his senses and wandered over to where his father was eyeing him warily.

Chuck sighed and shook his head. That was when Blair approached the stadium and introduced herself to the crowd. For that solitary moment in time and the events that would take place following at the mixer, Chuck allowed himself to enjoy the takedown of Serena Van der Woodsen. But there was a hint of hurt in Blair's eyes, and he knew it was not only from Nate.

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A/N: Hope you enjoyed! =D I know these scenes are essentially just the ones from the episode, but soon enough I should have some completely new scenes. I did make a trailer for this fic after all. Lol. XD It's why this chapter wasn't up yesterday. Lol. Please go watch and comment on youtube! =D ('Devils at Play – A Chuck & Blair Fanfic Trailer' by ChuckBlairLuvA) Thanks! =)


	6. Rudely Uninformed

A/N: It's been a bit. Hope you enjoy. =) Please review & vote on the poll on my profile page. I'm curious as to which of my 3 main stories, y'all are most fond of. ;)

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**Ch.6—Rudely Uninformed**

Eric's words ran through her like a jagged knife.

_"…it must come to a shock to someone who thinks she knows everything."_

He was right. She _hadn't_ seen that coming, nobody probably had. She felt awful. For the first time since Serena had returned, _she_ was the one feeling guilty. She wouldn't go so far as to retract the fact that she always knew everything – along with Chuck. This had only been an exception, but an extremely hurtful one at that. She had never felt a bigger lump in her throat preventing air from reaching her lungs. She had had good reasons to make Serena suffer, but now they seemed so much more weak and pathetic. _Sure, the blonde hadn't been there for her when she'd needed her most, but what kind of friendship would it be if she showed her the same cruel generosity in return?_

"What was that all about?"

She stilled very slightly at the sound of Chuck's voice.

"Nothing," she said very quietly, her voice numb. The last thing she wanted to do at that moment was talk to Chuck. _He_ was the one who had aided her in her quest to destroy Serena Van der Woodsen. Now the very idea of their scheme made her sick to her stomach. She knew he'd call her _soft_ and _weak_ when she went to talk to Serena later and wordlessly forgive her, make amends. She hated him for it.

They were both so very good at putting up a façade. They were both too cocky and downright selfish, but there was that rare moment when the walls fell and they sounded _real, __**human**__. _She felt her walls crumbling, but she knew his were not anywhere close and all he'd want to do was rejoice in their victory, sharing a few witty remarks and some complimentary spiked soda. It felt all so very despicable now. Serena had stood up for Eric, jeopardized her future by protecting the much more fragile Van der Woodsen – even if on the outside he didn't show it.

Blair felt horrible.

"I have to congratulate you, B. You did one hell of a job on tearing Van der Woodsen to shreds."

She cringed at his words. Normally she'd be glowing, because when there scheming was victorious and he used her first lettered-nickname it made her feel as if she were on top of the world. Called by the last name was _their_ thing, and her first name was common, but _B_ felt _intimate_. Now she abhorred it.

He took another step towards her, still grinning from ear to ear.

"I saw how she came up to you after her attempt at succeeding in some sort of acceptance speech up at the podium. She even worded the speech into a forgiveness plea and yet you still—"

"_Stop_," she demanded forcefully, the words low and dangerous. Chuck did not take another step. Something had happened that he'd not been around for or made aware of, probably something _recent_, and he didn't know how to react to it. It was obvious from Blair's current state of mind that she wasn't going to tell him, but he did not plan on backing down. They had concocted the scheme together, and all hell would freeze over if he did not know what had caused the sudden switch. There was no possible way Blair had caved so easily after seeing a few almost tears on Van der Woodsen's face.

"You don't sound happy," he stated. She scoffed.

"Just go away, Chuck. I'm not in the mood for your company." She stepped away from him and further into the room. His eyebrows furrowed but he did not back down.

"I was hardly asking—" he went for sexual innuendo, but was sharply cut off when Blair finally turned around, her eyes blazing anger.

"Stop! Just stop!" She was breathing heavily and now he was _really_ unsure of how to act. He was downright petrified and any options he could think of did not appear to be the right one. Comforting her would send her running, sarcasm would hurt her even if she didn't show it, and he dared not offer his confusion and slight distress over her not rejoicing over their victory. _Everything_ had gone according to plan. He hated that he had missed something, because it was so painstakingly obvious that he had.

"Blair…" he said, his voice low and almost hesitant. He was treading dangerous waters he knew, but he had to at least _try_ to find out what was plaguing her so.

"Don't even try," she huffed, moving past him and through to the other room. He was shocked to say the least, but managed to grab her arm before she got too far away and brought her back to where she had been. She tried to get away a few more times but finally realized he was too strong to keep her from leaving and relented. She was not in a position to injure him with her heels. He had become very aware of her tactics and had managed to avoid the daggers she tried to throw.

"Let me go," she said, her voice dangerously low. She was almost growling and if he had been in any other situation, Chuck would have commented on how it was somewhat sexual. He did not.

"No." His eyes zeroed in on her. "Not until you tell me what happened."

She ripped her arm away and he let her, sensing that maybe she had decided to stay and argue instead of running off and doing something reckless. He didn't want to argue with her but she was making it impossible to even suggest an alternative, and he refused to let her leave. The ceremony was over now, and Chuck had a "date" to be "discussed" with the female representative from Princeton. That was the farthest thing from his mind though, and it wasn't as if he couldn't catch a one-night stand elsewhere. All he could think was _Blair, Blair, Blair_. He didn't _want_ to think anything else.

She glared at him but his eyes were still dead set on her answer.

"Where's Nate?" she snapped, "Aren't you supposed to be with him?"

His eyebrows furrowed. "Uh…" he found himself temporarily disoriented. He hadn't planned on a change in subject. "He went home, I think. He was fighting with his dad over some college I think."

Her face fell and she took a few steps back. She was no longer angry at him, he realized, but at herself. She shook her head and looked to the ground, extremely frustrated and near crying. He just wanted to hold her but she slipped past him before he had a chance.

"Blair!" he called after her, turning towards her as she made her way across the room. He felt so empty and there was an aching tension in him when the realization hit him that she wasn't going to tell him what was wrong, what happened, or what she was going to do because of it. A lump formed in his throat.

"Go to hell, Bass," she muttered before exiting entirely. Chuck ran a hand through his hair and stared on after her, even after she'd gone. The Princeton rep finally spotted him in the hidden room and came towards his form. He was so very disoriented and frustrated at what had just happened. Usually when he became incredibly sad or frustrated or just feeling empty, sex would relieve that pressure, if only temporarily.

That was not the case this time. The seductress slid her smooth, feminine fingers along the material of his jacket where his arm lay, but when she moved her hand to his side and lowered it, he stepped away. Her eyes sparkled with desire when he looked at her briefly, but whatever fire he'd felt for her before was gone. She opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off.

"I'm not in the mood," he said, and stalked away.

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She was tired and didn't know just quite how she felt, but one thing she did know was how incredibly bubbly she felt when she saw Nate waiting on her bed with gifts in hand when she walked in the door.

"Nate?" she managed, flabbergasted by the sight. She had gone to see Serena, as planned, and though things still kind of hung in the air for them, there was some sort of peaceful middle ground they'd come to and she thought maybe she'd sleep a little better that night. Scheming brought a thrill but it could also become quite stressful if not dealt with properly. Waiting a whole day to talk to Serena reminded Blair of that.

The blonde nodded once and stood to his feet. "I came to bring you these," he said, holding out the chocolates and jewelry – encased in a Tiffany's box – awkwardly. She smiled softly, trying to contain her excitement and took the gifts from him. She was eager to open them, quickly rushing through a _thank-you_, when she remembered not only her matters, but what Chuck had told her the day before.

_"He went home, I think. He was fighting with his dad over some college I think."_

Her eyes looked over at his unknowing face and she placed the gifts on her vanity across the room. She turned around then and walked back towards him.

"Chuck told me what happened," she said, very softly. Nate looked up to her and face paled.

"About Serena?"

She blinked. "Nate…"

"You believe me about Serena," he said, trying to convince himself more than her. "You know I wasn't trying to talk to her, that I was trying to avoid her actually."

She blinked again, seeming to have forgotten the incident all together.

"Oh…uh…sure," she said, very unsuredly but forcing a smile for _his_ sake. His eyebrows furrowed and she forced herself to focus and think for both of them. "Yes," she said, taking his hand and squeezing it gently. Chuck had told her nothing of the sort, but she couldn't let Nate know that. He seemed troubled enough as it was.

"But he also told me that you and your dad were fighting at the Mixer…" she said, concerned. Her fingers softly swirled in circles on the back of his hand.

"Oh," he said, his voice suddenly lower and more lost. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she tried to see through the clouded haze. It had been more and more difficult to figure out what Nate was thinking and feeling after Serena left, and even more so now that she had returned. She decided not to connect the two factors. She had to be strong for him, and getting insecure over her _perfect_ best friend would get her nowhere, them either. She just wished he'd let her in once in awhile. They had been dating for so long, but lately she couldn't even remember what it felt like to be loved by him. He was hardly affectionate when it came to her.

"Talk to me, Nate," she pleaded, the concern still evident in her eyes. He sighed and pursed his lips. Her fingers stilled on his hands but it was not enough to bring his concerning thoughts to the surface.

"It's nothing," he said, putting on a brave face. She released his hands slowly and nodded.

"Are you sure?" she asked, going to sit on her bed. He nodded once.

"I'm sure," he said, turning towards her. Then he moved to sit on the bed and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. It was not exactly what she had wanted him to do, but she would take what she could get and hope he would open up to her later.

The elevator doors opened and Nate stepped out nearly an hour later. Chuck, as promised, was waiting for him just outside the lobby doors.

"Did you do it?" he asked. Nate nodded once.

"Yep," he said.

"You were up there awhile…" he began to smirk, "did you…?"

Nate did not seem to clue in at first, but when he did his eyes widened in what looked to be horror. Chuck hoped that was not the case, but Nate's following words confirmed his suspicions.

"What?! No! Of course not," he shook his head, laughing. Chuck could've sworn he shuddered but decided to ignore that possibility. If Nate was truly disgusted by sleeping with Blair, Chuck would just ingrain in himself that he was having a nightmare and that it was not reality.

"I mean, what with you waiting down here?" he raised his eyebrows. Chuck chuckled and shook his head.

"Please, I would have had pleasant thoughts, Nathaniel." He smirked and the two began to walk down the sidewalk, taking in the fresh scent of the rainy afternoon, the clouds now dissipated from the sky.

"I'm sure you would have," Nate murmured.

The two felt into common, comfortable conversation and Chuck was glad for it, but there was an itching to know what had happened up in Blair's penthouse. Before he could even backtrack to the subject of Blair however, Nate did the dirty deed himself.

"I have to confess though, man…"

Chuck looked at him inquiringly. "You're right. I'm just really not into Blair anymore. She's a pretty girl, but Serena…" he broke off, clearly so in awe of the blonde that he could not even speak.

_Pretty?_ Chuck scoffed inwardly at the thought. Blair was downright the most gorgeous thing he'd ever seen in his life. _How could Nate not see that?_

"She's really sweet too, you know," he continued. Chuck rolled his eyes. "And I know it might be wrong, but I can't stand Blair's personality. Most of the time at least. She's such a…_bitch_."

Chuck would have been smirking if the word had not been spoken with such distaste. He sighed, quickly growing tired of Nate's fixation on Serena. Sure, she was hot as hell, and Chuck would give a lot to sleep with her. It would certainly up his reputation even further, and perhaps destroy hers now that she was "trying to change" – he inwardly rolled his eyes at the thought – but compared to Blair? Nate really _was_ delusional.

"You don't even try to hide it," he said, trying his best to hide the disgust so thickly lacing every word he said. Nate turned and looked at Chuck, suddenly very flushed. He hadn't even thought twice, unlike when Blair had been in the vicinity at the brunch. Now he couldn't even continue speaking. His thoughts had completely vanished and he just didn't know what to say or how to say it. He was supposed to be the _good guy_. Whether he still loved Blair or not should not have changed that fact.

Finally he sighed and nodded along. "You were right," he said, sounding so incredibly exhausted. "I just don't know if I love her anymore," he shook his head, looking very fed up at this realization. That gave Chuck some relief but it still wasn't enough. "But I am into Serena. Oh my God, I—"

Chuck put a hand up to stop him. "I think I get it Nathaniel." Nate's lips snapped shut. "Just," he sighed and turned to him. They both stopped. "If you don't love Blair, break up with her. It might hurt and she might hate you, but in the long scheme of things, it would be worse for you to stay with her when you don't really want to be the man in her life."

Chuck seemed pretty passionate about the topic. Nate just blinked. A queasy feeling temporarily filled Chuck when he realized he might have partly been begging Nate to break up with her. He didn't want to dig further into his own motivations to see why that might be. He knew it couldn't have entirely been for selfless reasons. Nate still seemed incredibly conflicted though. It was extremely frustrating.

"I know…" Nate said, turning again and walking. Chuck followed suit but said nothing more on the subject. Soon enough their conversation had turned quite trivial again. Chuck wondered how much longer he could deal with this situation, and how much more he could resist Blair Waldorf if it was not _fixed_. Because he now realized with blinding clarity, that he was the only one sticking up for her and that she should be with someone who would do that. The fact that he was unable to stop thinking about her did not help matters.

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A/N: CB will make up soon…no worries. ;) I hope you liked this. Review.


	7. Tell Me Why

A/N: At the risk of getting hardly any more reviews on my last chapter, I'm going to update. This chappie will be pretty short – one scene; you've been warned. Please review. =)

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**Ch.7—Tell Me Why**

He'd disposed of the whores draped around his bed the instant he'd seen Blair's name flash across his cell phone screen. His heart beat a million times faster and with one glare sent to the trash lazily sprawled out on his bed, they suddenly regained energy enough to leave quite hastily.

He took a quick shower, unable to stop thinking about her. It made him considerably hard and he had to stay beneath the running water far longer than he'd intended, unfortunately turning the relaxing hot water into a chilling cold in order to numb his erection.

They hadn't talked in over a week. He didn't know where things stood between them, and it worried him. Though he scolded himself more than a few times that he shouldn't be so occupied with worry. He was Chuck and she was Blair. After all the other practically nonexistent arguments they'd had, when they'd next met up, it was as if it didn't even happen. Blair, however, hadn't planned to meet up with him after said argument. This time she had.

**Breakfast. 8:00**

** -B**

It was barely 7am when he'd gotten the message, and his normally calm demeanor had gone hay-wire. Nate and Blair had settled into a more at-ease relationship, as far as he could tell. And that meant that Nate hadn't broken up with her. He was still fantasizing about Serena, who had apparently made things work with that trash from Brooklyn and was on the verge of actually _dating_ the guy. Yet, and probably solely because of his family's conviction, Nate continued to go steady with Blair. He most certainly was not emotionally involved, and Chuck knew he wasn't physically there, at least on a sexual level. Blair hardly looked satisfied – not that he'd seen her that much. He'd been too preoccupied with the Lost Weekend and that ass of an alumni, Carter Baizen. It seemed Nate had fallen to his charms just as easily as he'd fallen for Serena while dating her best friend. Sometimes Nathaniel Archibald just downright made him feel sick to his stomach. His devotion to him though, was what saved them in the end _every. time_. He was more loyal to Nate than he was to _anybody_.

All the more reason to get jittery at the thought of meeting Blair Waldorf for breakfast.

"Chuck," she looked up from her menu. He nodded to her and slid into the seat across from her at the quaint café.

"This is…cute," he said, glancing around the restaurant. She took no notice to the amusement that laced his words.

"You came. I requested." She looked up from her menu again. "Are you complaining?" She raised her eyebrows. He couldn't help but chuckle at her adorable expression.

"Do I ever?"

She rolled her eyes and looked back down at the menu. When the waitress came, she informed the woman of what she wanted, adding a few extra things when she felt Chuck's heated stare on the side of her face. She looked at him from across the table after he'd ordered and the woman trotted away.

"Satisfied?" she asked, hint of an attitude in her sarcastic inquiring. His eyes roved over her face and subtly drifted elsewhere before meeting her eyes again. He leaned across the table and forced her to keep his gaze. He could tell she was getting uncomfortable after awhile and it made him feel quite victorious.

"Ecstatic."

She rolled her eyes, grateful though to have his eyes not so penetratingly on her after he leaned back into his chair. She didn't quite know how to progress with their little 'meeting', but she decided _what's new_ was as good a play as any.

"How was Lost Weekend? Did Nate score?" she asked sarcastically. His eyes did not fail to flicker with serious alarm. _Did she really just ask that? _He couldn't possibly toy with her in response to that.

"I wouldn't know. Baizen brainwashed him."

Blair raised her eyebrows. "Carter? Didn't he like fall off the surface of the earth or something?" she asked, taking a sip of the lemon water sitting in front of her. Chuck smirked, amused, and quite proud of himself for moving the conversation in a safe direction, though still with that hint of entertainment.

"Something like that," he murmured, finding himself mesmerize by her little ruby lips as they enclosed around the edge of her glass.

"What?" she asked, looking at him strangely once she'd set the glass back down. He snapped out of his gaze and shook his head, realizing his eyes had remained on the glass and the faint remains of Blair Waldorf's lip print on its edge.

"Nothing," he said. "What'd you want to meet for?"

Her lips parted, part of her wanting to delve deeper into what he was avoiding her, but the logical part of her won out. It could have realistically been nothing. She did not plan on looking like an idiot by dissecting Chuck's brain in search of something that might not even be there.

"Is it possible that I just wanted to see you?" she asked, leaning across the table a little, placing her chin in the palm of her hands. He raised his eyebrows in doubt. She scoffed. "Fine," she rolled her eyes, relaxing back in her chair, though strangely enough a little tense. She crossed her arms across her chest.

"I…"

The food arrived before she could get a word in. Chuck glared at the waitress as she walked away. _Worst timing ever._ If she had been working under the Bass name, he'd make sure she got fired, logical reasoning or not.

"You were saying?" he drawled. She looked up at him, mouth full of food and used that as her excuse to keep her from talking. Chuck sighed and looked down at his food, deciding to delve in as well.

Much to his chagrin, Blair didn't say anything for quite some time. He was pleased that she finished everything on her plate, but he was growing irritated. He had gotten so anxious in meeting her and it just didn't make sense for her to not clearly display her dire need to meet with him for breakfast. It couldn't have honestly been for an apology. _Since when did Blair Waldorf apologize?_

"I made up with Serena," she said casually, carefully peppering her mouth with the white napkin. He looked at her, studied her. Finally she looked up at him. He knew she was waiting for him to say something, but he was biding his time, waiting for what she was painfully building up to. Her eyes flickered to his.

"We're friends again."

He continued to stare at her, almost blankly. When the silence continued for over a minute, she felt like she was going to burst. She hadn't spent over a week avoiding him for nothing. It would be a huge blow to her pride whatever Chuck would have to say over her mending with Serena. She didn't want to avoid it anymore though. She just wanted to get it over with now. She didn't want to wait till the next party or school get together and have him eyeing her knowingly. She might act like it didn't affect her but it did. She didn't like how he could affect her so easily.

"Well, say something," she said, trying not to sound too eager. He pursed his lips and continued to look at her, the glazed look in his eyes fading, as if he'd just come out of a dream.

"Is that it?"

Her eyebrows narrowed.

"You demanded breakfast of me to tell me you mended things with Serena?" he raised his eyebrows in disbelief and clear amusement. It seemed such an idiotic reason. The only thing that made sense was that it was an excuse for something she didn't want to admit. But he wouldn't let that possibility come to the surface, at least not on his end of things. He felt his heart skip a beat at the possible admission that she was struggling with unknown feelings for him as much as he was for her. Even that was something he wasn't going to admit to himself. More than anything he felt himself relieved when she did nothing of the sort.

"No," she scoffed at him, looking at him like he'd lost his mind.

The waitress came to retrieve the dishes and Chuck made a gesture that the bill be paid for by the Bass's. Blair made no motion of thanks or gratitude. He didn't expect one. Chuck raised his eyebrows knowingly at Blair for a statement. She rolled her eyes and gathered her purse together, standing up all in one swoop. His eyes widened, panicked.

"Blair—"

"No, just forget it. I knew this was a mistake," she spat, moving past him. He followed her out the door. She was walking far too fast for his liking but somehow he managed to keep up.

"Blair," he called to her, even as he was right beside her, but she kept moving. "Blair, hold on a minute." Finally she whirled around, catching him off guard and stared at him, mad as hell.

"What?" she asked, her fingers clenched tightly around her purse's handle over the curve of her shoulder. He looked on at her in confusion. _Damn, he hated what Nathaniel did to him._

"Why are you so mad?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"I'm not mad," she said, her fingers loosening around the glossy leather.

"Really?" he asked, doubtful. "Your body language," his fingers came tantalizingly close to touching the bare skin on her arms, "would prove otherwise." Her nose scrunched up in disgust, and she stepped a small distance away.

"You're wrong," she said, insisting on her truth.

"Am I?" he asked coyly. He sensed he was getting to her but her facial expression proved otherwise. She wasn't backing down anytime soon and now he was pissed. He'd come to this breakfast, not _just_ for her company but also to find out _why_ the hell she wanted him there. It was true they shared an occasional breakfast together, but this seemed so out of the ordinary, out of place. Usually after an argument, no "alone time" happened until after they'd experienced a few group settings first.

Her lips pressed firmly against each other.

"I invited you to breakfast, Chuck. Breakfast is over now and I have things to do, so—"

"Like what?" he scoffed, in disbelief that she would stoop so low just to get him away from her. She gaped momentarily, truly at a loss for words. She didn't have an excuse, and though she could always use shopping, she'd been shopping with Serena the day before and she couldn't tell him she hadn't. It'd been all over Gossip Girl, and he would notice that she was wearing something new at breakfast. He always noticed those little details. _Sometimes_ she abhorred him for it.

"Waldorf…" he warned. She rolled her eyes and reluctantly gave in.

"Fine. I invited you to breakfast because I didn't want to…" she stalled, suddenly wordless. It was too risky to just flat out say she missed him or she just wanted to get his insults over with but she didn't know how else to replace it. Immediately she regretted asking him to breakfast to begin with. But she couldn't take it back now, and she knew he wouldn't leave without an explanation.

"…see Nate latched onto you with a heap of whores by your side," she responded. He searched her eyes for the lie and she couldn't tell if he'd found it, but she didn't dare press on for another response from him. She'd tried that route already and it'd gotten her nowhere. She sighed, annoyed.

"Look, I really do have to go," she said, hoping he'd buy it this time with more of an insistent, tired conviction in her voice. "I'm meeting up with Serena soon."

He nodded slowly, eventually accepting the fact, and took a step back away from her. She felt freer, more in control, with him that one step away, but the distance also made her feel uncomfortable, in harm's way. It was an awfully contradicting feeling. Chuck, for one, did not understand how she had decided to eat breakfast with him to discuss _Serena_ when she was just planning on spending the day with Serena herself.

"We good?" she asked sarcastically, as if he was the only one needing reassuring.

"Always," he smirked cockily. She rolled her eyes and moved towards the parked limo she'd come in. He didn't like to see her walking away, but the confusing encounter didn't allow for him to do much else, so he just stood and watched her. She halted when she reached for the door and her whole body stilled. Chuck became both worried and curious in a heartbeat. He prepared a disgusting, sexual innuendo in his head, should the occasion arise for such an opportunity.

"I need you, okay?" she said, her voice small as ever. He was surprised he'd heard it at all. They were at least three feet away and it was _so_ very small.

"And," she sighed, her hand shaking just a little on the outside door handle. "I don't want you thinking I'm weak or soft." She forced as much confidence as she could muster. "I'm just human," she looked down on him with disdain and then turned away before he could respond. Chuck was left watching her drive away into the distance. He was speechless on the sidewalk, reality crashing down on him. She'd wanted to bypass his teasing, but in doing so, she'd let slip that she needed him. _What the hell was he supposed to do now? Did she honestly think this would stop their predicted avoidance from each other?_

Quickly he scrambled about for his phone and sent her a text. He waited anxiously for her to return it. The single beep from his phone made his heart race.

**You're an ass, Chuck.**

He smirked. Back to basics. Back to wit and charm. Back to schemes and the sensational thrill of blackmailing people and yet being friends with the nicest people on earth. He'd known his cocky insistence that he was _irresistible_ would put things back into the constant natural flow usually residing between them.

Now he was free to avoid feelings all together. Nothing good would have come from her knowing he felt the same way about her, and that he'd been almost more concerned about her when he'd heard about her reunion with Serena than when Nate had been scammed by the deceitful Carter Baizen.

No good would come from that.

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A/N: Hope you enjoyed. Please review. =)


	8. Getting Harder to Breathe

A/N: Believe it or not, this fic is almost over! Aww. Though, I might be extending it past what I originally planned, but still…it shouldn't be longer than 5 more chapters at most. ;p Thanks for all your constant support. I love how into this you are. Hehe. Read on!

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**Ch.8—Getting Harder to Breathe**

The ding of the elevator hardly registered on Blair's radar. She was watching Dorota and several other maids and hired help move about the penthouse's main floor, arranging the different assortments of 'items' to be used throughout the evening. There was everything from fruity alcoholic drinks to colored silk sleeping bags. The most fashionable clothing and the most expensive make-up, not to mention all the dirty details of what would follow later once the game of truth-or-dare started. Blair Waldorf was smiling from ear to ear just thinking about it.

"Well, you look like you're having fun."

The smooth velvet voice interrupted her thoughts and she glanced over at the form having just exited the elevator. She was still very much focusing on the night ahead of her, clipboard in hand and even the outfit of a businesswoman immersed in her work.

"I am," she said, still looking about the room for what might need to be adjusted. Nobody did placement like Dorota, and unfortunately the Polish maid could not be cloned.

"Just thought I'd stop by and…" he paused, seeing as how she was still not fully paying attention to him. He cleared his throat but it did nothing to halt her concentration. "Blair." Her head swiveled to look at his and she gave him a beautiful, plastic smile. She took a step towards him.

"I'm sorry, Chuck. Were you saying something?" she batted her eyelashes innocently at him. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes and simply smirked.

"I was. Seems you were distracted though." His eyes rove all over her face in some sort of sparkling excitement. It confused her, but she disposed of the curiosity almost instantly. "Perhaps…"

"What?" she asked. Somehow her façade had fallen and all her attention was on him. She nearly dropped her clipboard. "Something you got in mind?" she asked coyly, taking a step towards him. She hardly knew where the flirty, playful edge had come from but she couldn't take it back now and decided to pass it off as normal.

Chuck's eyes lit up on fire. "Your bedroom?" he suggested. Reality came crashing down on her. She rolled her eyes and moved past him, heading for the stairs.

"No," she said, "I'm not letting you seduce me," she said pointedly. He mock-gaped and placed a hand over his heart.

"Waldorf, that hurts. I can't believe you would stoop so low as to accuse me of such a vile deed." She turned around and looked at him in annoyance. Still, it did not occur to her that she was heading upstairs to her bedroom and he was following her, after she flat-out told him the two of them would be going nowhere near her bedroom.

She scoffed but said nothing of his following her into her bedroom, even once he'd closed the door behind him. She immediately walked over to her vanity and started rummaging around for some unknown accessory. Chuck had no clue what it could possibly be used for, since she almost always started out without accessories at the beginning of her soirees. _What would be the point of dressing up if you already were? _

Less than five minutes later, she turned around to catch him watching her in what looked like great intensity. She tried hard not to think about what that meant. She decided on typical Chuck Bass lust. Unfortunately for her, the initial disgust she would have had at the thought of Chuck undressing her with his eyes did not kick in until a few seconds later.

"Why are you here?" she asked, abandoning the task she'd walked across the room to do. She folded her arms across her chest. It suddenly dawned on her that he'd not only come over without vocalizing a reason, but he'd also followed her up to her bedroom after she'd told him not to. Her bedroom door was also closed behind them, and he was closer. Suddenly she felt very hot.

He pursed his lips together and settled himself on her bed. He sighed.

"Nate's out of town, and I was bored," he said, simply. She nearly scoffed at the explanation. It was so pitiful.

"Have you run out of booze and skanks to sleep around with?" she asked, arching an eyebrow and looking at him coyly. His smirk almost reached into a smile.

"No, I've got plenty of that." His eyes roamed over her body again. Now she was feeling uncomfortable. He seemed to be doing that more and more lately – making her uncomfortable, making her feel guilty. Chuck had always been good about not getting too close _physically_ because he respected Nate's relationship with Blair. But lately the tie on his self-control was loosening.

"Let's just say…it was leaving me a little unsatisfied."

His eyes burned into hers, but she managed to put on a sarcastic air and play around with their usual wit and charm. "So, you thought what better way to spend your time than to distract me before my soiree that will start in…" she looked down at the imaginary watch on her wrist. "Just a few hours?" Her eyebrows rose to the top of her forehead.

Chuck stood to his feet and walked towards her. "A few hours is hours away," he murmured, almost as if it was against her skin. She wanted to step away but there was no room to go and she told herself she must have been dreaming. Then she realized he wasn't even within three feet of her. He was keeping a completely reasonable distance. And the way he looked at her…maybe she was reading too much into it. Regardless, she was feeling overheated and claustrophobic suddenly – for no particular reason, she told herself – and decided that the best possible solution to this dilemma was to get Chuck out of her _room_, out of her _penthouse_, _**now**_.

"Right," she said, in what she hoped was a sarcastic, 'normal' air. She moved across the room and opened the door. "I don't remember inviting you though." The plastic smile was back on her face. He smirked and moved towards the doorway. She felt her heart flutter and almost commanded it aloud to stop.

"I hardly come invited to anything," he said smugly. Her expression did not change. "I just end up on most guest lists." He winked at her as he left the room. There was a sudden gnawing at her to tell him where they'd be that evening, what clubs they'd attend. They always managed to shift over to the hottest clubs for their most scandalous dares.

"Chuck!" she called out to him before he'd even gotten to the top of the staircase.

"Yes, love?" he asked, his voice as sultry as ever. Chills ran up her spine. She cursed herself for how she was reacting to him, and feeling. It was completely unlike her, but she found herself desperately wanting him with her and yet needing him to get as far away as possible because that desperate wish was _too_ over the top for Blair Waldorf to even _contemplate_.

She walked to him in the middle of the hallway and slipped a small piece of paper into his hand. She ignored the spark she felt when she touched him. She forced herself to remember the supposed 'fireworks' she felt with Nate. She also ignored how she hadn't felt those in an extremely long time. That only led to the depressed state her relationship was currently in and that thought made her want to purge.

"That's where we'll be," she said coyly. He looked at her in shock, clearly surprised by what she'd done. They were very playful, the two of them, and within the shadows, extremely emotionally intimate with each other, but this was something new. The soiree was a _girl's_ night. Boys were not allowed, especially those that were quite strange to the Upper East Side junior class at _St. Judes_ & _Constance_.

"Are you…?" he couldn't finish the sentence. He was completely flabbergasted, and images of stealing Blair away from her soiree at the club and ravishing her while her 'friends' were temporarily distracted ran through his mind at a ramped speed.

She patted the collar of his jacket, and it jerked him out of his thoughts.

"Think whatever you want, Bass." She traipsed past him and down the stairs. The heat was overwhelming her now and she forced herself to find some flaw in Dorota's arrangements. Chuck looked on at her from behind for a considerable amount of time. Whether she'd meant it that way or not, Blair's words would be stuck in his head. She's just given him _permission_ to lust after her – albeit in his mind.

Another latch in his self-control – _gone_.

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He was never going to be able to stick to basics. At their breakfast a week prior, some barriers had been broken. She'd admitted she'd needed him and he didn't know how to react. It overjoyed him and terrified him all at the same time. He didn't know how to vocalize or express any of that, and he didn't know if he even wanted to. So, he'd gone back to _basics_, back to how they'd been for years. Each time was a little bit harder though, and whether he wanted to admit it or not, things had changed between them. They'd always been close, but Nate fawning over Serena after having _cheated_ on Blair and yet _still_ dating Blair was pushing Chuck's self-control. Being around Blair only threatened that even further. His desire to steal her virginity was almost overpowering his need to stay loyal to his best friend.

He liked to think of himself as a dangerously devilish bad boy when it came to seducing girls, and a few times he convinced himself he'd only grown to want Blair Waldorf so badly because she was the one girl he couldn't have, and that after one night of hot, raw, relentless sex, he would no longer feel such a heated attachment to her. The animalistic thought evaporated the moment he remembered Blair was also one of his closest friends. _He could never do that to her, _especially after all that she'd been through_._ Then their relationship would change for the _worst_. He would just have to keep his libido intact until these feelings passed. He would just switch his call girls to all brunettes all the time. Then he'd see there was nothing permanent about lusting after Blair Waldorf.

Blair caught his eye once in the middle of her giggling fest with the other girls. There was a seductive glint to her gaze, but he told himself it was only because she was in her element. He loved to see her like this. When she was manipulative and scheming and not holding back, when she dared you past what you thought you could possibly bear, she was glorious.

"Bass," she greeted him, shining smile on her face. He smirked. Trash Humphrey had come to 'save his sister' from what must have been 'impending death'. He rolled his eyes at the thought. The boy was definitely overprotective. What Jenny had done was truly harmless, compared to some of the things he'd seen Blair do. None of that mattered now of course. Blair was in front of him.

"Where are your minions?" he asked smugly. She kept on beaming.

"Outside on the street. We were waiting for Little J's stay-or-nay verdict, and I thought I'd entertain myself elsewhere."

At the word _entertain_, his heart skipped a beat and his pulse raced. The same thing had happened earlier when she'd used the word _distract_. He didn't know if she was doing it on purpose. It wouldn't be completely out of character if she was, but it was certainly making his resistance harder nonetheless.

"I'm surprised you came," she raised her eyebrows. Inwardly she hadn't been too surprised. She'd actually wanted him to come, but in wanting that she'd figured she was jinxing herself. When she'd spotted him across the room, she'd nearly had second thoughts about making out with the stranger who'd dared to look at her and even _speak_.

His smirk came slow and smooth. "I wouldn't miss it."

Her eyes twinkled, but she swore she was almost blushing.

"It wasn't an official invitation, Chuck."

"As I've informed you before," he said, moving around from his side of the bar to right beside her. "I hardly need an invitation to come to an event."

She felt her heart race and wondered if it was because he was so close to her. Her emotions were running wild and she wasn't sure whether to praise herself for giving him the address or to curse herself for allowing herself be that close to him. Serena had returned, and they were friends again, despite what happened with Nate. Her boyfriend was hardly there for her, and it seemed only for appearances that it did not break it off for her. It made her burn and crumble inside, and having Chuck by her side giving her everything she wanted all the time, she wondered what was keeping her from being with him. Every time that possibility occurred to her though, she remembered who he was to everyone _else_ and what his _reputation_ was, and how very much _more_ humiliated and broken she'd be if and when he cheated on her, because she knew he would.

So, she ignored her heart racing and told herself Nate would come around and Serena being back in her life was enough. All of these feelings she'd been trying to block out she knew had come on so strongly after her admission of needing the sly brown-haired boy. He didn't express returned sentiments and now she felt vulnerable, almost so vulnerable as to forget to put up her emotional façade. She was incredibly aware of his effect on her. She only hoped he was _not_.

"Right. Well, good of you to show up. Sorry there was no direct involvement, but like I said, no official invitation." She smiled at him. He loved how wicked her smile was, how her ruby lips curved upwards in the most delicious way.

"Just watching you was entertainment enough, I assure you," he said. Her lips parted, still smiling as wildly as a Cheshire cat.

"_Blair!_" was heard just outside the bar – miraculously. She didn't even look in the direction of the exit, but scanned her eyes over Chuck's face once more. She almost subconsciously grazed her eyes over his body, but became aware of herself and stopped, knowing full well she'd blush in she did so. He would smirk. Then he _would_ know.

"My ladies call to me," she said with an almost draining sigh. He continued to smirk at her.

"And you're the queen. Who are you to wait on their beck and call?" he asked. She was extremely flattered by his sentiment, but told herself she shouldn't be. This was _Chuck_ _Bass_. He lived on sweet-talking, and it wasn't like she didn't feel the same way about herself. _Of course_ she was queen.

"Perhaps…" he continued before she could gather herself long enough to form a rebuttal. "You could provoke them just a little, and…delay?"

He had moved closer to her and before she even realized it, was running his fingers along the edges of her jacket, and the fine line of her collarbone. Thankfully she caught herself before she gasped at the sensation of his hot fingers grazing her cool skin. She moved away from him in one fluid movement.

"Goodnight, Chuck," she rolled her eyes and moved towards the exit, unknowingly swaying her hips in his perfect line of vision. He was enraptured and only paused to smirk further when he noticed Little Jenny Humphrey following after the cluster of color, Blair in the lead. He could have sworn he saw the brunette look back at him once more and smile devilishly. It was probably his imagination though. Their scandalous interaction had ended.

For a brief second, Chuck contemplated calling Nate and informing him of how Blair had made out with a stranger in the middle of a bar room set-up. He guessed the blonde wouldn't care though. He was too wrapped up in Serena, and as of recently, perhaps his father. The stirring sick feeling in his stomach revived. Something was going wrong in Nate's family and Chuck should have been there for him, more than he was. When Blair asked anything of him though, even hinted, he was by her side in a heartbeat. It occurred to him then that maybe he might possibly be as wrapped around her little finger as her minions following her everywhere were.

_No_. He was _not_ _**whipped**_. It wasn't even possible to be whipped if you weren't actually dating the person. Not to mention it would cause a tremendous dent to his ego if he actually was. No, he was completely his own person – powerful, rich and dangerously unpredictable, like a disease. Chuck Bass didn't need or thrive on anyone, especially those he spent his every spare moment with.

Calling Nate was sounding better by the second. Blair had left, and he was alone in a bar, with no desire whatsoever to bring any of the scantily clad women home with him. If he grew desperate, he could call in the hotel maids.

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A/N: Thoughts? Please review! ;p And vote on my profile poll if you haven't! =)


	9. All Comes Back to You

A/N: Apologies for not updating sooner. After I saw the UK S3 finale promo, I just couldn't write any CB that didn't directly have to do with that situation, which is why I started writing a fic for that situation. Lol. Surprisingly though, I felt inspired for this fic this morning. Heheh. I mean to write up the next chapter in _The Edge_ and _Flashback_ soon too, I just need to figure out a little more how I'm going to go about those SLs. For this fic, I already know just about everything I'm going to do. So…yes. Heh. This chapter should be relatively long – 4 scenes. So, I hope you enjoy. Please review. =)

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**Ch.9—All Comes Back to You**

She didn't even try to hide the smile when she heard the knock on her bedroom door. It had been a ridiculous excuse, but she'd called Chuck over to discuss what they'd be wearing to the Masquerade Ball that night – just so they wouldn't clash, obviously. She knew he'd stand up to his name and come as the devil, but…

"Blair?"

A lump formed in her throat but she quickly pushed it down. She felt both hot and cold and ignored that as well. Just to be sure though, she checked her hair in the mirror at her vanity. _No frizz – check._

"Door's open," she said with a sarcastic air. Her smirk stretched into a wide smile though when he stepped into her room. She had the perfect view of him through the reflection of her mirror. He was particularly well put together, though still with the casual perfection that was Chuck Bass in pink. She would have bit her bottom lip sentimentally if he was not such an observer. He looked downright adorable, she decided.

"What did you uh…" he gestured to the different dresses and masks she had laid out on her bed. She still hadn't decided on one yet. She knew Serena was going to wear yellow, and Nate was supposedly going as the Phantom, or maybe a prince with that particular mask, and Chuck most likely would be wearing a classic red devilish suit. Her choices consisted of two black dresses and a red one. If he picked the red one, she knew her heart would soar. Despite the fact that they almost always matched each other unconsciously at social gatherings, the fact that he'd _want_ them to match just got her excited – for friendship purposes, naturally.

"…want to talk to me about?" he asked dryly, raising his brows ever so slightly in confusion. The silence that had filled the middle of his question did not exactly register on her radar. Before she could respond, he started up again. "If this is about the ball tonight, isn't that something you should be talking to your friends about?"

She frowned. _Friends? _"You know, Kati…Is…Serena…" he continued on in his blah manner, slipping his hand back into his pocket after he'd finished gesturing. He didn't mean to sound so cold to her and uninterested, but this was the last place he should have been. He felt like a complete ass.

Earlier that morning, he'd been hanging out with Nate discussing the evening event, when his blonde best friend had uncovered some cocaine hidden amongst his father's books. Chuck hadn't known how to respond, but found himself amused initially. He'd suspected they were Nate's. He'd been wrong. And instead of trying to address the lost, sad look on his best friend's face, he said nothing. Their time together had ended shortly after, and all he'd given to him was an, _I'm sure it's not what you think, man._

Nate had accepted the 'sentiment', probably because it had come from _him_ – Chuck Bass. What else could he expect? But Chuck still felt like an ass. He was being a _horrible_ best friend, and though he knew it wasn't her fault, all he wanted to do was blame Blair. It was really his _feelings_ he was having issues with, and Nate _was_ being a dick to her, but…

"They're coming over in a couple hours," she said, looking at him strangely. Her words snapped him out of his frustrating, dazed thoughts. "I just thought…"

"What?" he asked tiredly, running a hand over his face. Her eyebrows furrowed. She was starting to get angry. Usually Chuck loved coming over to see her. The fact that she'd purposely set time aside to be with him should have made him ecstatic, or at least caused a suggestive reaction from him. But all he sounded was bored and she was crushed. The little butterflies she'd been trying to ignore in her stomach suddenly lost all their energy and nearly their wings all together. She knew better than to ask him if something was actually wrong but this was _not_ who she'd wanted to come see her.

"Chuck…"

His eyes flickered to hers.

"Do you not want to be here?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, trying her very best to get the air around them light. He studied her for awhile.

"No, honestly, I don't," he said bluntly. She was taken aback but tried her very best not to show it. She couldn't believe he'd actually admitted to it. It was a far off thought in her mind, but she'd convinced herself if she actually asked him, he'd prove otherwise. He hadn't.

"But you came…" she started again uneasily. _Why did his words make her feel so damn insecure all of a sudden? They never did._

"Yes, I know," he sighed, running a hand over his face. "That was clearly my mistake."

Her heart fell to the pit of her stomach. She was completely crushed.

"Fine," she ground out, swiftly marching across the room to take her dresses and hang them back up in her closet. She would just use one at random later. Maybe she'd have Serena help her pick out one of the three, though obviously the red one would not be an option. "There's the door," she gestured to him once she'd turned around. "Don't let it hit you on the way out." Her eyebrows narrowed.

Somewhere between his cold words and the speeding thoughts that were refusing to leave him alone, Chuck realized he'd said something he shouldn't have. Blair had called _him_ over. The dresses she'd set out on the bed were clearly there for him to choose from – _him_. Events like these demanded several hours for the girls to get ready and 'bond' some more, but it was now almost late morning, and she'd separated a whole few hours just for the _two of them_, doing God knows what. But it didn't matter anymore.

He felt like an even bigger ass.

"Blair—" he stretched his arm out towards her in some effort to retract the bitchy mood she'd transitioned to. He didn't want her to be pissed at him. He was just so damn pissed at himself for not being a better friend to Nate.

"No," she stepped away from him deliberately. "You don't want to be here, so _go_!" Her voice was low and demanding. He didn't have a choice in the matter. Now _she_ didn't want him there. His insides were raging inside him. There was so much tension built up inside him and he didn't know what to do with it.

"Maybe you can get a few more lays in before tonight," she muttered under her breath. He did not like the suggestion, the possibility that he was blowing her off to have meaningless sex with some call girls. But he hadn't liked the fact of him practically ditching Nate to come to Blair's either. It wasn't as if Nate hadn't left already when Chuck set off for Blair's, but it still left an extremely uneasy feeling in his stomach. He decided the best thing was for him to leave.

"Alright. See ya," he turned for the doorway and left, not even slamming it on way of departure. Blair wished she had. She felt like she was going to scream.

………………………………………………………………

She took note of him from across the room, but refused to acknowledge him. If he did not want to be with her earlier, then she could _not_ want to be with him now. Besides, getting together with the girls and glorying in her clever game _finally_ ending in her loss of virginity to Nate had given her an excellent distraction. If only Nate didn't look so distracted _himself_.

Nate was standing straight across the room from her, not moving an inch. _It was not as if the game was that complicated_; Blair almost scoffed at the possibility that he was _confused_. All he had to do was go to each of her friends to get new clues to find out where she was, and if he found her before midnight, then they could go off and do the deed – romantically, of course. He could have skipped the clues all together and just walked over to her if he'd wanted to. But _no_, he was just _standing there_ _straight across from her_, and not moving an inch.

"What is Nate doing?" she asked, almost to herself. She might as well have been, but the presence of Chuck was blatantly obvious as he sidled up next to her. He too saw Nate standing directly across from them. "He's supposed to go find Kati and Is. It's getting late and I'm losing heat." She almost huffed. She knew Nate and Serena had had sex, and maybe some part of him was still into the blonde, but she herself couldn't have been that undesirable, could she?

"Well, you look ravishing," he said smoothly. It sent a chill down her spine until she realized she was still mad at him, because it was _him_ she'd wanted to pick out her dress, not Dorota who'd ended up picking at random. "If I were your man, I wouldn't need clues to find you." There was seduction in his voice and she wanted to appreciate it. This was who she'd wanted to come see her earlier in the day, not the jackass that came and then left because he didn't actually want to be there.

"Or to ravish me, I'm sure," she said in return. There was some venom in her voice but she laced it cleverly with the wit that they shared so regularly. It _almost_ felt comfortable. She wondered who exactly she was trying to play, herself or him.

"Who is _that_?" he asked suggestively, his eyes setting on the form of a particular female across the room. She was blonde and in a yellow dress. The fan she held in her hand made her particularly appealing, and since Chuck had been unable to get off all afternoon because of his argument with Blair, he decided now was as good a time as any. Blair obviously was not going to be forgiving him anytime soon.

"Probably some bitch from Chapen," she said, wondering if she sounded snappy or annoyed in the least. She decided to go with annoyed if she had to choose, since Nate was so not following the set guidelines she'd made out and Chuck being next to her but already wanting to not be was particularly irritating for her and borderline the drawing out of her insecurities.

"A _hot_ bitch from Chapen," he continued, almost oblivious to what Blair was saying. He was so obviously captivated by the blonde across the room. Blair grumbled inwardly. There was no point in trying to get anything into Chuck's head once his lust had gotten fired up.

"_Forget_ her," she said, trying to rid him of his spell. _Remember me,_ went unspoken. "Go get Nate. Point him in the right direction," she insisted, though she wasn't sure exactly who she was referring to, Nate or Chuck.

"First things first," he said, his mind elsewhere as he set his empty champagne glass on a passing waiter's tray and headed in the direction of the blonde. Blair looked at him in disbelief as he walked away from her.

"Chuck," she called after him, annoyed. The fact that he didn't turn back address her demand reminded her of when he'd tried to pull her out of her rage earlier that morning. That was different, she told herself. He'd been cold to her practically since she arrived. She had every right to be snappy right at that moment.

Clearly her attempts were in vain. Chuck had already kissed the back of the skank's hand suavely and now the two were apparently playing some form of strip-tag or hide and seek. Knowing Chuck's hatred towards running, it was probably hide-and-seek. She rolled her eyes at how easily he was seduced by the mere sight of a girl, despite the fact that he called himself the seducer. He did always hold the upper hand, she had to admit. The girls he tried to seduce hardly realized they were almost always in control simply because of what they _looked like_ and the fact that he hadn't slept with them yet.

Blair turned her face back to where Nate had been before. He had disappeared and that gave her some hope, but she noticed him nowhere near Kati and Is, and then dejectedly found him lazily pouring himself another glass of punch, after which he returned to the spot across from her and stood without any recognition of her form. She rolled her eyes and walked away. Sitting down and waiting elsewhere suddenly sounded like the greatest solution. She half-contemplated telling Kati and Is to forget giving Nate any clues, but she figured the end result would remain the same and so resisted. She did not however, resist the champagne trays that seemed to float all around her.

"Care to dance?" a passing guy asked of her. She looked him up and down and almost appeared to be considering the option.

"Do I look like I want to dance?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. She was far too pissed at Chuck and Nate to even give this guy a second glance.

"Well, I, uh…"

"No," she snapped, "I don't."

He cleared his throat and straightened. "You were the one to set me up with Serena Van der Woodsen, am I right?"

She blinked at him, suddenly recognizing him and half-caring. "Yes," she sighed, still annoyed. "What about it?"

"Well, that's why I thought you might want to dance. Her boyfriend came and stole her away."

"What?" she snapped to her feet and looked over to the sweet reunion of Dan and Serena just beyond the dance floor. She sighed. Despite his lower class ranking, the boy had really stepped up. It made Blair want to vomit. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the night but herself. Later she would tell herself that she was happy for Serena – later when she remembered that her life was actually at its height, a scary thought.

"So…" the guy reached his hand out to take hers and guide her to the dance floor. Her eyes snapped back to him though and she recoiled from his approaching hand.

"I don't think so," she snapped. "It's not my fault you got dumped by Serena Van der Woodsen for someone from Brooklyn." She rolled her eyes and walked away again. Whatever his reaction might have been, she hardly cared. She would just go and wait for Nate to magically appear somewhere else.

……………………………………………………………………

The night was officially a disaster.

Nate had come to her, but he was a minute too late. Her hope had completely faltered when she saw him, had been dying all night but now the flame had officially been blown out. She had glared and he'd hardly looked apologetic. But by way of gathering up her friends and personal possession, she'd heard a particularly loud pounding and yelling from some higher level. It almost sounded like it was from the rooftop. The fact that if it was and she'd heard it, was definitely surprising. She had good hearing, but not that good. She decided to investigate.

A smirk slid slowly onto her face when the muffled cries became louder as she ascended the stairs to the roof. She raised her eyebrows in amusement once she got to the top of the staircase and instantly recognized the voice.

"Somebody!" it cried out. "Let me in! I'm going to freeze my ass off!"

She chuckled, and leaned against wall beside the door, wondering how much longer his desperate pleas would go on for. She pursed her lips so as not to make too much noise, or anything that could be heard above the pounding at least.

"Blair!" he called out.

She jumped and gasped. Had he actually just _called out_ for her? She liked that. It made her feel particularly bubbly, despite the devastating night she'd just experienced.

"Yes, Bass?" she drawled, just loud enough for him to hear. Instantly the pounding stopped.

"Blair?" he almost whispered. "Blair?" he asked again, louder this time, probably wondering if he had just imagined hearing her. Maybe he had gone crazy in his frantic state. He had been angry at first when the girl had simply walked off with his clothes behind the locked door. Now he was just desperate.

"Blair, please let me in," he pleaded.

"Please?" she asked, mocking his use of the word. He closed his eyes and groaned.

"Not the time," he ground out. He'd find some way out of his pleading later. Now he just wanted to get inside before they made an ice sculpture out of his half naked arse. That 'hot bitch from Chapen' had _so_ not been worth it.

"Let me guess," she began, not moving her hand an inch towards the door. "The hot skank was not worth your time?"

"_No_," he ground out. She continued to smile.

"So, what you're saying then is that you wish you had just done what I'd asked of you?"

He sighed.

"Right away," she corrected herself.

"Blair…" he groaned, his head pounding against the door a few times.

"Yes, Chuck?" she asked innocently.

"Let me in," he pleaded. She swore she could hear possible sobs in his voice. She bit her bottom lip, absolutely loving this payback. He'd come to her bedroom, acting extremely cold towards her, and not wanting to be there. He hadn't helped her in the least with Nate, and had ditched her for some blonde bimbo – the first of which had actually realized her true power over him. Blair admired her for it, and she was sure Chuck admired her for it too, despite his currently pissed off and desperate state.

She resigned herself to letting him in. "Alright, Chuck. I'll let you in." She heard him sigh in relief and chuckled to herself. Suddenly an idea came to her though. She unlocked the door and opened it half-way when it stopped.

"Blair, _please_. _Stop_ the _teasing_. I'm going to get _hypothermia_," he said quite seriously when he couldn't budge the door any further. She had a particularly tight hold on it and had also spotted some large objects to keep the door from moving until she allowed it.

"One condition," she said.

"Fine!" he nearly shouted in exasperation. Her cheery, sarcastic expression fell into an almost sadness that he did not recognize until she spoke again.

"You never come over to my penthouse again, unless you actually want to be with me."

His face fell at the reminder of what had happened earlier that day. Immediately guilt swept over him, almost terrible enough to overheat him and make him wish the cold would actually affect him again.

"Blair—"

"Promise!" her voice rose, but it had settled back into some sort of playful air. "Or…" she looked him over, "maybe I _will_ let you freeze your ass off up here."

"I promise," he said softly. She refused to make it a sentimental moment though and simply opened the door for him. On finding him in his half-naked state, she scoffed and headed back down the stairs.

"Come on, you idiot, I think I saw some extra suits in one of these rooms."

He nodded, smirking a little. He had a sudden desire right there to run after her and grab her by the waist and spin her around till she squealed in delight and demanded he put her down. They'd be all smiles and oblivious to anything else in the world, even a power outage or an earthquake.

But he didn't. He just walked behind her and went into the room she directed him to. She waited outside it for him to change. He was half tempted to pull her in with him, watch her squeal in delight that way too. He just wanted to see her smiling.

"Want to know something?" she asked, sounding quite amused. He smirked, coming into step beside her as they continued down the rest of the stairs.

"That girl that totally played you?"

He raised an eyebrow when she turned to look at him. He would not recognize the fact out loud.

"Jenny Humphrey," she confirmed when he said nothing. While he had been changing, she recalled the bracelet she ripped off of someone that was not Serena, and how Jenny had been given it to borrow. Quite the Cinderella story now that she thought about it. Too bad there was no Prince Charming.

He scoffed. "Seriously?" he asked, incredulous. Her eyes twinkled and she smirked.

"Must be you lucky day, Bass." She pushed the door open for the two of them once they'd reached the bottom. Chuck was in disbelief but followed her. Nate was in the front of the building waiting for them when they got outside.

………………………………………………………

"I'm just going to crash, man," Nate said, looking dazed as he fell onto the couch on the far side of the suite. Chuck nodded.

"Mmhmm, sure," he said, hardly focusing on the individual kind of talking to him somewhere off in the distance. His mind was too focused on Blair. He'd just barely overheard the conversation Nate and Blair had had before he and Nate left – it was just going to be himself that night but idiotic nature had changed that. Now his mind was warring with him, and both sides were losing. He'd blown Blair off because he thought he was being a sucky friend to Nate, being with Blair all the time. But Nate was _still_ being an asshole to Blair and it just wasn't _right_. Chuck felt _so_ overwhelmed. He couldn't _believe_ how wrapped up he was in all these…_feelings_.

His phone buzzed and he widened at the name blaring across the screen.

**BLAIR CALLING.**

He took a shaky breath and answered.

"Hey," he said quietly, almost in a whisper. It wasn't that Nate would entirely disapprove, but somehow it felt wrong to be talking to Blair when Nate was in the same room, like he was crossing some sort of line because of everything that went along with Blair Waldorf inside of him.

"Hey," she said, confused. Her eyebrows furrowed. "Is something wrong?"

Nate audibly began to snore albeit quietly. Chuck cleared his throat. "No, I was just…not expecting your call." Blair nodded, deciding to believe it. "What's up?" he asked.

She sighed and he swallowed hard, fearing for what was coming. "What's wrong with me?" she asked. A heavy weight dropped into the pit of his stomach and his heart tightened very intensely. He didn't know if he should respond, or even if he could. He was finding it very hard to remember what words actually were. He didn't like that he couldn't ever fix Blair for good.

"Nothing," he managed after what seemed like forever. He had just barely gotten the word out of his mouth, just barely remembered how to breathe. She sighed uneasily and then he _knew_ she had been crying. It broke him.

"Right," she scoffed, very sarcastic in her response.

"Blair—"

"Nate didn't get there in time!" she nearly squeaked. He nodded softly to himself.

"I know."

"He didn't even _try_."

His eyes squeezed tight as if maybe he could fix the whole situation if he just tried as hard as he could to erase it from his mind. "I know."

She sighed shakily. "He doesn't love me."

"He _does_," Chuck said instinctively. He didn't want to question the fact in his mind or soon he wouldn't be able to reassure her. Besides, Nate had never flat out told Chuck he didn't love Blair anymore. He just said that he…didn't know. That was clear confusion caused by nothing more than Serena Van der Woodsen and a drunken night after the Shepphard wedding. That and the mess that his family was in. Chuck shuddered briefly, feeling an ounce of sympathy for his friend. Then all his focus went back to the brunette on the phone.

"He doesn't show it," she muttered.

"He's just…" he sighed, wondering if he should really fill her in on what all might be going on with Nate's family. She didn't know the half of it, and he hardly knew anymore, but he knew she should know. He hadn't told her about Nate sleeping with Serena and she'd hated him for it. But she'd only feel guilty if he told her, like she hadn't been a good girlfriend because Nate hadn't been able to confide in her. It was Nate who was the ass, not her. She'd never fully believe it though.

"What, _Chuck_?" she snapped a little. He didn't even for a second take it personally.

"You're _beautiful_, Blair…" he said, a little breathlessly. Maybe it sounded like pity or sympathy or something of that nature, but he hated that she couldn't see how amazing she was. It wasn't _her_ fault Nate cheated on her or hardly tried to make amends.

Instead of going off on him for trying to change the subject, she took his words and twisted them, threw them in his face.

"Right. That's why you went after Jenny Humphrey instead of helping _me_, 'beautiful Blair'," she scoffed, hardly believing a word that came out of his mouth. Guilt consumed him again. _Damn, why couldn't he stop thinking about himself for two seconds?_ The blonde had been hot, just like when he'd seen her at the _Kiss on the Lips_ party, and he was in desperate need of getting release. That didn't excuse it though. Even if he was horrified by the thought of having butterflies in his stomach for Blair, he stood by her as a friend, just like he did for Nate, and once upon a time for Serena. He should have considered her request as more of a priority, especially after he'd treated her that morning.

He growled. "Blair, you know it would have been _you_ I would have gone after if you'd been available," he rasped out. Something inside him throbbed directly afterwards and a breath caught in his throat. He hoped she hadn't seen between the lines of his words – that he would go after her in a heartbeat if she wasn't with Nathaniel.

She didn't seem to. "Chuck, I just…I feel so alone," she whimpered into the phone. "God, I can't believe I'm crying to you over the phone," she scoffed at herself. He imagined she'd be doing worse things to herself if the phone wasn't in her hand. He sighed, feeling so helpless.

"It's okay, Blair," he said, trying to reassure her. "I'm always going to be here," he insisted.

"Mm," she murmured. It sounded like she was nodding off and he was glad for it. A good night of sleep would take at least some of these insecurities away, and it would prevent her from doing anything too reckless. He'd spend the day with her tomorrow, or at least part of it. He owed her that much.

"Chuck…" she began again.

"What is it?" he asked very quietly, hoping to soothe her with his gentle tone.

"Stay on the phone with me?" she asked, yawning a little. The confident Blair would have never asked such a thing of him. He was selfish, she was selfish, and neither of them needed _anything_, most especially someone to lean on when they were falling apart – _if_ they were actually human enough to fall apart.

"Sure."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed it. I'm very satisfied. =) Please review!


	10. Fire

A/N: Update! Yay! Lol. I have officially outlined this entire fic – hopefully there won't be too many more changes. Heh. And there are 13 chapters and an epilogue. It'll end during the 1x09 episode with brief hints to events throughout the rest of S1 and maybe beyond a bit. So, yes. *nod* And I _know_ you're excited…this is the chapter for _Victor, Victrola_! Get excited. Lol. It's definitely going to play out different than it did in the show. Prepare yourself…and review!

***There is ****DEFINITELY**** some M-rated material in this chapter. You've been warned.**

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

**Ch.10—Fire**

Maybe he should have been surprised that she sounded so bright and cheerful when he called her at five in the morning that particular Tuesday morning. But he wasn't. Not in the least. He wasn't shameful either. He had been working on this project for weeks, what had felt like months, and she was the only one he trusted enough to test his idea – his father's possible _investment_ – with. The fact that she didn't sound or look amused in the least till they were halfway through their conversation at _Victrola_ came as a shock. After her meltdown following the Masquerade Ball, he was surprised she even accepted his beckoning request to come to him barely an hour before school would start. He didn't know if what had happened between them was going to make a difference in their future interactions, if she would avoid him now because of how he had cared for her. She would not show it, but he knew she appreciated the fact that he'd stayed on the phone all night with her. She had, after all, said she _needed_ him some weeks before. If he didn't take that to heart, nothing in the world would make sense. And with Nate's current complications, the only thing that made sense to him was to focus on Blair Waldorf. Looking at the big picture kept him in bed for days.

"You want your Dad to invest in a strip joint," she said casually, glancing around the small area he'd led her to. Scantily clad girls who would obviously never be respected walked past them and a smiling bartender stood behind the counter to the left. "How midtown."

"A _burlesque_ club," he corrected. She inclined her head, allowing the amendment. "A respectable place where people can be transported to another time, where they can feel free to let loose – no judgment, pure escape. What happens at _Victrola_, stays at _Victrola_." He looked down at her, forcing himself to restrain any actions that would send his lust raging out of control, and just displayed a suggestive smirk. The large red bow headband she'd adorned on her head was _killing_ him, reminding him of his preschool days when pigtails on a little girl were too much of a temptation and he could do nothing but pull on them with all his might. There was a distinct memory that he had done just that, and more than a few times, to Blair Waldorf.

Blair's nose scrunched up at the thought of what Chuck Bass was planning to do in this _'transport to another time.'_ The sexual connotations in everything he said were blatantly obvious, but she shouldn't have been that surprised. This was _Chuck Bass_ she was talking to. And she imagined he was going to draw a crowd with quite similar intentions as his own. The _girl_ part of her was utterly disgusted by the whole idea. The _I'm-possibly-falling-for-Chuck-Bass_ part of her found it _very_ intriguing.

She continued scanning the room, analyzing every part of it, the inner battle fierce between her. She decided to create a third party – friend inspecting a business proposition, _professional_.

"Well, it does have franchise potential." She turned towards him, her eyes sparkling with the proud smile and nodding head that was displayed to her. "Chuck Bass, I do believe all your years of underage boozing and womanizing have paid off." He got distracted when a pretty blonde practically passed between them. Blair looked after her too, but it was Chuck's eyes who had burst into flames. He made a mental note to screw the girl later on.

"Truly, I am proud," she finished, still beaming at him despite the distraction. Once the girl was out of sight, Chuck turned back to her and admired the adoration and girlish laughter that was spilling out of her. He breathed out on almost a flirtish note.

"And you are my toughest critic," he told her, looking her straight in the eyes. "Well, second toughest," he said, scrunching his eyebrows as he remembered cockily back to what he hoped would be his father's approval. He smirked a little. Blair analyzed his face playfully.

"So, you think your father will go for it?"

Chuck held up a newspaper with an article shouting _Bart Bass_ written all over it. He was clearly in pre-salesman mode to prepare himself for the proposal later on with his father. Blair's heart swelled at the sight of him. She loved to see him so confident, so in control, never doubting – at least not to the naked eye, especially when it wasn't in regard to scotch and sluts. This was stuff that would actually _matter_ ten years down the line, or even five.

"It is exactly the kind of innovative thinking upon which the Bass Empire was built. This is the perfect thing. I've been waiting for this."

She tried to look at him in a casual manner but she was so very proud of him, she couldn't stop her eyes from shimmering in happiness. If she could, she would have shot Bart Bass's approval to Hell and just allowed the 'burlesque club' herself, despite her sometimes disgusted view of the place.

"We are _so_ late. Are you coming?" Her mind instantly transferred over to academics. She had been around Chuck in this place too long already. For a brief moment she even understood why the strippers did what they did, if in fact they did enjoy it.

"Gotta pitch it to Bart," he insisted, clutching the briefcase she'd hardly noticed he'd had to him. She threw him an amused glance and began walking away. Before she was a foot away though, he called out to her again. She felt herself shiver at the sound of his voice.

"Victory party," he nearly shouted. "_Here_, tomorrow."

She smirked. "I wouldn't miss it."

"I'll send a car!"

"Don't be nervous. He's gonna love it," she called out after him. He was smiling, beaming in fact, and yes, a little nervous. But her confidence made him stronger and he felt himself glowing inside. This time he decided to base his butterflies on nerves for the business proposal he'd been planning for weeks, not the fact that Blair was encouraging him to the fullest extent and was actually _excited_ about coming to his victory party tomorrow night. He hardly doubted himself now.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

He didn't know how he _expected_ the night to go, but it couldn't have been anywhere near the way it had gone. Nate and he had barely spoken in the last two days, and that bugged him a little. He had been enthusiastic about Blair's responses to Victrola the day before, and even though Nate promised he'd be there, some part of him just wasn't okay with his _sure man, I'll be there_. It didn't help that his father arrived at the most untimely moment ever with one of the dancers seductively astride his lap. He was just lucky that his father was convinced easily by young, hot Asian girls. Even there though he had miscalculated. Apparently, his father's attachment to Lily Van der Woodsen was genuine and not something he was willing to take a risk on. There was disapproval in his father's final words to him that night. The only thing he could hope for now was a night out with his two best friends. Perhaps the experience would get them all to unwind and in the morning everything was fine.

The idea was doubtful, but it was all he had to hold onto. That and the fact that Victrola was now an official burlesque club. That made Chuck very happy.

"Where's Nate?" Chuck asked out of instinct when a very disgruntled Blair Waldorf sprung out of the limo's dark interior.

"I think we just broke up," she said on a sigh, shutting the door behind her, just a little harder than she probably needed to. His eyebrows furrowed and his heart ached for her.

"What?"

"I don't wanna talk about it," she snapped. He was still confused by her, concerned. She turned towards Victrola and walked to the entrance. "I just wanna escape. That's what this place is for, right?"

The colors were spinning around the room. The place was packed and Chuck should have been ecstatic. The dancers were so seductive on stage that some of the men in the main heap of the crowd were practically salivating. There were plenty of beverages and nearly every desire was available for every individual that walked through Victrola's doors. Just by looking at the environment and soaking it in, anybody would see it not as a strip club – not only at least – but as another world, another time, just as Chuck had been hoping they would.

_So, why was he so damn depressed?_

It was Blair. She was rubbing off on him. He was so unsure of how to really react. Part of him was rejoicing that Nate finally broke it off, but the other part of him just ached for how Blair must be feeling. He knew how much she loved Nate. The smile and amusement and excitement plastered on her face could in no way be genuine. He went in for the kill.

"Look, I know you don't wanna talk about what happened—"

"Relief," she said, cutting him off. Her eyes were pinned to the dancers on stage, and she bobbed her head along to the music and the sway of their hips. "I feel relief."

Chuck felt so helpless. He sighed and leaned back into the comfortable couch. Before he could even attempt another thought process though, she spoke again.

"You know, I've got moves."

This intrigued him. He hated it – partially – but all of a sudden his libido awoke inside him and he pictured Blair in all her glory, stripping on the stage. It would never actually happen, he realized, but there was no harm in thinking about it, was there? Nobody could see inside his head, and she had just broken up with Nate. Chuck could see no potential danger in this situation. She was obviously filled with too much pride to just admit how broken she was and lean on his shoulder like she had a week before with her heartbreaking phone call.

"Really?" he leaned forward in his seat. "Then, why don't you get up there?"

"No," she laughed. He loved that laugh. "I'm just saying I have moves." He also liked to tease her, provoke her into doing something she'd never do. At least it would make his fantasies more real.

"Come on, you're ten times hotter than any of those girls—"

She rolled her eyes. "I know what you're doing, Bass." Her voice lowered in slight disapproval. He stopped teasing her and then it hit her all at once. She turned her head back to him.

"You really don't think I'll go up there." It was a statement, not a question, and from the knowing, amused look etched across his face, she knew her sudden assumption was 100% correct.

"I _know_ you won't do it."

Her lips parted in the blatant dare-but not he'd given her. She didn't scoff but that was only because her jaw had dropped so far agape, she'd have sworn it was touching the floor.

"Guard my drink," she said to him. He looked to her in some sort of amazement, and she knew it was also surprise. She reveled in that. She had only ever been the perfect, _pristine_ girlfriend with Nate. It was who she thought herself to be on her own as well. That _pristine, pure_ girlfriend had been cheated on and accused as being too busy. She'd been ignored and mistreated by practically everyone except the person who'd 'dared' her to do something that she normally wouldn't do – so to speak.

So, she was going to prove him wrong, and she was going to _enjoy_ it. Because Chuck Bass didn't know her _completely_, and neither did she.

It was exciting prancing up on that stage and hearing the roar and whistling of the crowd egg her on. She had no problem complying. This was all for Chuck, because it was only them in that moment. It was another game, and just what she needed after a night gone wrong.

_"What are you doing?"_

She moved her hips a little to the music, smiling in her own mischievous way as Chuck looked up at her from down below.

_"I'm going to Victrola. I promised Chuck. It's important to him."_

With her eyes still pinned coolly to his, she reached for the headband wrapped around her silken curls and pulled it off, throwing it in his general direction.

_"I saw your father get arrested. Why didn't you come to me? I would have listened."_

_ "I've tried, Blair. But every time I try, something's got your attention. A dinner party, a masked ball…"_

Her slender fingers moved seductively to the zipper at the side of her dress. She pulled down and let the hideous garment drop to her feet. Chuck leaned forward in disbelief, watched as the dress fall, became mesmerized by what was beneath and couldn't comprehend for one second that this was the Blair he saw every day, not even the one that had shown him her lingerie she'd planned on wearing for Nate.

_"Yeah, let's talk about that masked ball. Let's talk about how while I was waiting for you to find me, so that we could finally be together, you were confessing your feelings and kissing Serena!"_

Her hips swayed seductively to the music, her fingers moving to just the right places, tugging onto the hem of her slip and drawing attention to her ass.

_"I thought I was doing everything right."_

_ "It's not your fault."_

Chuck was gaping at her, had moved to a farther distance, afraid he might lunge at her when no one was looking. Though, that was highly unlikely. No one in the whole damned hall could take their eyes off of her. He drank from his scotch-filled glass to contain himself, and somehow remain sane.

_"Do you love me?"_

She turned her back to him and coyly turned her head over her shoulder to sneak a peek at him, her finger suggestively pulling him in over the tip of her soft curved skin. He could hardly catch his breath.

"Who's that girl?" some transgender nobody asked behind him.

"I have no idea," he answered truthfully, not even knowing how he'd had the ability to speak.

"You go, baby vamp," the _thing_ beside him cheered her on.

Chuck shook his head at Blair up on the stage in such awe and flat out acceptance of her proving him wrong, he was surprised she didn't start laughing at his shock. She was certainly smirking about it. Perhaps she knew just how very close he was to bursting right through his pants at the mere sight of her fulfilling his wildest fantasies.

_"You should deal with your father. He needs you….and you know what? I don't."_

She turned back to face the crowd, her seductive eye luring every single person in. The cheering was loud but he was numb to it. The way she moved her hips and slid down to a crouch, pulling the crowd members in with how she played with her necklace and moved her hands from knee to breast. Chuck was flat-out _blown away_.

He raised his glass at her, but his expression never changed, only intensified. She was smirking as she swayed back and forth, looking and feeling on top of the world. Nate was the farthest thing from Chuck's mind. He was entirely too captivated and intoxicated by the hottest creature he'd ever laid his eyes on. _If only his call girls came this steamy…_

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He'd been waiting for this moment his entire life it felt like. The hottest, most amazing fantasy come to life and he wasn't even allowed to touch her. It killed him like none other and he was going to have to take a seriously long cold shower the second he got home. Just sitting across the seat from her until he reached her penthouse was a painful experience.

_They're broken up, you idiot. Go for it!_

_ No. She's Blair. She's __**Nate's**__ Blair. They __**just**__ broke up, and I respect her too much._

Her head turned slightly in his direction, her eyes dazed. "Thanks for the lift home."

_God, her voice was poison to his soul._ He was dazed as well, drowning in the essence of the seductive goddess he'd seen up on stage. She was the forbidden fruit he'd always longed for, and though he'd always found her extremely attractive before, tonight she was set on fire in the essence of how she looked and how she moved.

"You were amazing up there," he breathed, shaking his head a little, in such amazement still of her. The visions of her dancing and looking at _him_, doing it for _him_, would never go away.

She looked at him again, her eyes grazing over his entire form. It hardened him further to see the sudden lust and determination in her gaze. She slid over the long seat to just beside him and he felt like he was going to explode. She had never directly come on to him before, and that was probably why he had been able to resist her. But Nate and her had _broken up_, and he had feelings he didn't know how to explain, couldn't explain if he tried. And she was close enough to taste. He couldn't, wouldn't, resist if she allowed him entrance to her warm, supple body – if she requested it.

Slowly, breathlessly, despite the cautious frozen stare of his eyes, their lids closed shut and they breathed onto each other in a light, simple kiss. All his senses were set ablaze and he found himself pulling back just a little, reigning in his resistance just enough, forcing himself to think there was something good in Nate yet when it came to Blair, and that he'd be devastated and pissed if Chuck did what he was contemplating so intensely right at that moment.

"Are you sure?" he asked, almost a whisper. Her eyes were intense and gave him his answer before her lips smashed down on his own and sent him into a whirling oblivion with the passion that they exploded on contact.

She was forceful, desperate, and had never felt so alive. She had been waiting for this for weeks, months if she was being honest. Her virginity was an important, sacred thing to her, but when Chuck Bass came to mind, she almost just wanted to throw it at him and hope he didn't get knocked out along the way. Nate had become so out of touch with her, and though she had been crushed when he hadn't been able to tell her he loved her, it had also given her _permission_ to _have_ _Chuck_. For just one night, she would forget his track record and convince herself that they were two young people madly in love and that he was saving her, however unknowingly, from the dark, dangerous dragon in the castle surrounded by molten lava.

"Blair," he breathed.

"Shh, no talking," she demanded, pressing herself closer against him, forcing him to move around a little bit and to grab onto her. He still seemed to be in such shock over her bold move. _Was this really so out of the blue? Had she been the only one with feelings building up since Serena had come back? _She didn't answer that question. She didn't like what the answer might be, and she was desperate for him. Whether he was only going to sleep with her because he hadn't gotten laid yet that day was none of her concern. All she cared about was the feel of his hands now gripping her thighs, inching closer to her ass, reveling in all that she was and even taking the chance on an intimate touch with their fingers intertwined together.

They swung from side to side of the limo, breathing harshly, rubbing against each other. Blair thought she was going to die. Chuck had never been more turned on his life. A woman had never felt so soft, so exquisitely curved, so downright delicious as Blair did right there in his arms. She was his for the taking and he nearly went out of his mind when her tongue twisted in his mouth and she straddled with such a fierce intensity he didn't even know existed. Her fingers twisted in his hair made him weak to her touch, but the ferocity in his need to have her thankfully won out and he was able to proceed with just as much passion as before.

He pulled down on her slip's strap and it slid easily down her arm, revealing the top of her cleavage. He felt a shudder of excitement and extreme pleasure ripple through her when his lips dipped into the valley between her breasts and his teeth tugged on one of her nipples. Her nails dug into his scalp and started to scrape across his back. She suddenly realized with belated irritance that he still had far too many clothes on. She pulled his jacket, desperately rid him of his bowtie and outwardly groaned in the midst of their kisses at the fact that he had so many buttons on his button down shirt.

His ministrations to her body halted a beat after he felt her perfect fingers fumbling with the buckle on his belt. She halted soon after too, her body crying in pain at his lack of continuous touch.

"What is it?" she breathed. She could have sworn she was hyperventilating. If he had forgotten a condom, she really would have been. She had moaned his name far too many times already not to feel him inside her.

_Nate._

A fury built in Chuck and he forced himself not to take it out on Blair. Nate was an asshole. He didn't deserve Blair, but neither did Chuck, and she would realize that in the morning. He would not take her virginity – the one thing she held closer more than anything else – just because she was finally his for the taking and he needed his release.

He groaned at himself for pushing her away. "I'm gonna regret this," he muttered, as he pulled up the slip of her dress and slid the strap up over her shoulder. She moaned her confusion and sudden upset state.

"What are you doing?" she demanded. "I _want_ you," she looked him in the eyes, her heart piercing through him with unquenched need. A breath caught in Chuck's throat. Her words engulfed him with an unhealthy, desirous heat but he somehow resisted and pushed her away.

"You'll regret it in the morning," he insisted, breathing abnormally. "Trust me." She blinked at him, confused, and still extremely in need of him, but he had pushed her away and would not let him come near her again. She suddenly felt very insecure and ugly, even _Chuck Bass_ had refused her. But she would not let it show. He was clearly back in a world of his own and planning out which call girl to summon the second he reached his precious _1812 suite_ at _The Palace_.

"Arthur," Chuck squeaked a little, pressing the button to lower the divider between them.

"Yes, Mr. Bass?" the driver inquired, as if he didn't have the slightest idea of what had been going on behind him between his employer's son and the daughter of Eleanor Waldorf. He had gotten good over the years of never letting on how very much he knew.

"How close are we?" he inquired. "To the Waldorf's penthouse?" He added that second part quickly before Blair heard that his original destination had been The Palace. His mind must have been playing tricks on him when he'd told his driver of the original destination. Somewhere subconsciously he had decided that Blair would be his tonight.

"About five minutes, Sir," his driver dutifully informed him. Chuck nodded and mumbled his thanks, pushing the button to bring the divider back up. When he looked back at Blair, she was staring out her window into the lit-up darkness of late New York City. He couldn't blame her for her sullen sadness, and sunk into his own seat, peering out his window into the night.

…………………………

Taking Blair home had been painful. It had been downright scarring to watch her flit off towards her building when he could have had her if he'd only stayed focused on the two of them and their very needy, intense desires of the moment. But Nate had flickered into his mind when he'd least expected it, and it was not because he felt guilty. It was because he felt _rage_. What he had done to Blair was unacceptable, and as _un_-athletic as he was, in violence as well as any detestable sport man came up with, he was not going to let his 'best friend' get away with this.

He hadn't known exactly where to direct his driver, but he had heard earlier on from Blair – Groan. Blair. – that they were going to have dinner together prior to _Victrola_. Thus, they would be at the Waldorf penthouse. He groaned again at that realization, and how very close he would be to a pissed off, horny Blair and a possibly pitiful looking Nate Archibald.

Luckily, Arthur somehow sensed this and once a few blocks had been passed by, Chuck spotted him and boiled with anger.

"Stop," he said, careful to hold his fury in check until he got out of the vehicle. As soon as the limo had stopped, he quickly opened the door and sprung out onto the sidewalk, not even taking a second to think. He swung his fist at Nate, who reeled back from him immediately and held a hand over his eye.

"Ow!" the boy cursed, stumbling a bit. When he finally looked up and saw it was Chuck that had hit him – Chuck, his best friend – he was completely stupefied. "Chuck?" he asked, as if trying to make sure. Chuck nodded, still very angry.

"Yes, you asshole, it's me."

Nate removed his hand from his face and growled at his best friend. "What the hell is your problem?" he fumed. He was far too exhausted after his break-up with Blair and the overwhelming scene that had been caused with his father's desperation of his inevitable betrothal to Blair Waldorf, according to their parents. He hadn't even gone home yet because he'd just needed to get out of there. He knew Blair was right, and that his father did need him if their family was ever going to get through all this. But he just couldn't take it anymore. Chuck punching him, for what appeared to be no reason, was the last straw.

Chuck almost laughed, taking two steps back. He gestured his arms about, in disbelief that Nate could actually not know.

"You tell me, Nathaniel." He sounded drunk and he knew it. He was drunk, but he was also sober in a very serious sense of the word. He may have not come after Nate if he was completely sober, but his feelings would still be the same.

Nate looked at him confused.

"You broke up with her," Chuck said, as if it were not plain enough. "After breaking her heart a million times, you just had to do it again, because you're so fucked up!" He almost ran towards him and hit him again, because the tension was so unbearable, but he resisted.

Nate coughed out an almost laugh. "This is about _Blair_?" he asked in disbelief. Chuck had come after him and punched him over Blair? He knew he hadn't been in favor of how he had fallen for Serena and not taking action with Blair, but he couldn't possibly be this fired up about it, could he?

Chuck said nothing, waited for _him_ to say something more.

"She broke up with _me_," Nate emphasized. Chuck was still furious, but he blinked a little. He didn't even put the possibility up in the air that Blair could have lied to him because he felt the need to defend her so badly when she'd just been needy enough to let him take her virginity. In reality though, she hadn't. She hadn't specified who had broken up with whom. Chuck had assumed, but it still didn't make all the crap Nate had put her through worth it.

Nate scoffed. "And why are you punching me? You wanted me to break up with her if I couldn't commit. _What the hell is your problem_?" he asked again, now extremely infuriated. He hadn't punched anyone in his life before, but he had gotten suddenly very defensive. Regardless of Chuck's disapproval, he had always been on his side at the end, as far as he could tell. _Where did he get the nerve to suddenly jump on the Blair bandwagon and go off physically assaulting him?_

"I mean, whose best friend are you anyways?"

Chuck scoffed, as if the answer were obvious. He didn't want to think about the question too hard though. If he did, he probably wouldn't honestly know how to answer that question.

"Do you have any _idea_ what my family's been going through? Tonight, my father got arrested for carrying illegal drugs! I don't know what the hell is going on and whatever might have been saved for the wealth in our family could be completely gone, because the union with the Waldorf's is _finished_. They will definitely not take us up on anything, especially now that my father's practically a criminal!" He shook his head and sighed loudly. "And maybe I couldn't tell Blair I loved her tonight, because I was just too overwhelmed and couldn't think straight. Maybe I just needed to _escape_, and thinking about my feelings was just too damn much. _Especially_ when my mother's intense feelings over the situation has her practically denying the blatantly obvious screwed up situation my father has gotten himself into." He was fuming; his eyes were ablaze.

Chuck reeled back in shock. He couldn't think clearly. The alcohol and the smell of Blair still on him was messing with his mind. But the guilt concerning Nate definitely welled back up in him at full force. It occurred to him then that he hadn't even pressed Nate about what'd been going on in his family, and that maybe _that_ was the real reason he hadn't been treating Blair right in the last couple weeks, not Serena. His breath caught in his throat, and he couldn't say a word.

Nate scoffed and shook his head. "Whatever, Chuck. Just…" he couldn't seem to speak anymore either. "Just whatever." He turned away and walked further down the street. Then he hailed a cab and from the direction they were going, he guessed Nate was heading home.

A huge lump formed in Chuck's throat and a heavy pain filled his stomach. He stumbled back to his limo and pulled the door closed behind him. He was shaking and sweating. He felt uneasy, guilty, desperate for Blair Waldorf and more alcohol and sleep. Very soon the limo started moving again and Chuck slipped slowly into a deep sleep. His eyelids fluttered shut and he fell flat against the smooth leather seat. He smelled Blair Waldorf and he felt the pain of her absence. But before his mind could travel back to his feelings with Nate, he drifted off completely into slumber and was not woken up till the limo slowed to its spot in front of _The Palace_ hotel.

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A/N: I'm a little unsure…but I think this chapter's AWESOME. XD Haha. Hope you enjoyed. Please review. ;p


	11. Too Lost in the Head

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews.

*I own nothing.

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**Ch.11—Too Lost in the Head**

Slivers of light streamed in through the blinds hanging over the window. Chuck instinctively felt as if he'd had a hangover. He was not an easy victim towards the drug of alcohol, but the night had certainly proved troublesome. He decided to blame his headache and slight queasy stomach on that instead, despite his intense desire to forget the incident entirely.

He sighed, sitting up from his laying position on the bed and flipping over the covers in one fluid movement as he climbed out of the bed and moved across the room in his silk pajamas. The room was despicably empty and he hated it. The idea of calling in the hotel maids to entertain him was of great disgust to him at that moment. The idea had flashed through his mind several times since he'd returned to his suite late the night before, early morning if he was being honest. Every time, screwing the hotel maids had been atrocious, like willingly quitting his daily – sometimes hourly – scotch. After having Blair's supple body in his arms and being a breath away from making love to her, hotel maids were mediocre.

Nate wasn't in his suite, he realized. That made him ache inside. His best friend often spent the night, especially lately in the wake of trying to escape his family life. Guilt squeezed Chuck's heart. Falling for Blair Waldorf had been one of the worst things that could have possibly happened to him. It had ruined everything. But he would no longer deny it. He definitely had a crush on the vixen, if not something incredibly stronger. He wondered if the three of them would ever recover from what he'd done by refusing Blair and attacking Nate. The reminder of his aggressive act brought the pain back to his knuckles. He had never felt punching someone worth it, in the long _or_ short-run, but now he knew why people did not go about doing it on a regular basis. It _hurt_.

After making some sort of concoction to soothe his waking physical pains, he reached for his cell phone and was distraught at the sight of no new messages, no phone calls either. Well, that wasn't entirely true. There were two new Gossip Girl posts, as he should have expected. One displaying Blair Waldorf in all her glory, stripping on stage at _Victrola_, and another showing with great ferocity the feud between himself and Nate the night before. The zoom-in on their faces was incredible. He wondered who the hell was up at that time of night and scouring the streets for some dramatic gossip-worthy scene. Regardless, the two posts reminded him in the most obvious, tortured, sense that what was plaguing him this morning had indeed happened and were not just the result of a very restless night of sleep – something he had _also_ had.

Bracing himself, Chuck sped through his contacts' list and found Nate. He passed Blair's name as well, but would not allow himself to stop and even think about calling her. Nate he could apologize to and soon enough they could act like it never happened. Blair was more complicated. His almost making love to her and then pushing her away not only let on that he found her physically attractive and wanted to make love to her but also that their friendship would never be the same. _They_ would never be the same. That made him hurt inside more than he thought was ever possible. The only hope inside him was the prospect of fixing Nate and Blair. He would help Nate get through his family crisis, first by apologizing. When that particularly difficult situation was dealt with, he would sufficiently knock some sense into him and soon the blonde would move on from Serena Van der Woodsen, who was officially now dating that loser from the _Brooklyn_. Once that was all achieved, Nate should have no trouble realizing what a lucky bastard he was to be dating _Blair Waldorf_. Chuck was confident that once Nate started treating Blair like the queen she was, the brunette would have no problem falling back into love with him – assuming that she had fallen _out_ of love to begin with. The issue of Chuck being in love with her – or something like that – would have to be dealt with later. He was sure there was nothing on her end of things, and it had been mere drunkenness that had drawn her to him the night before. He had learned to deal without his father's love; he would do the same for Blair.

Nate's answering machine had greeted him, just as he had expected. He didn't think Nathaniel would talk to him after what had happened, especially with the overwhelming state his father had just been brought into – arrested for drugs was not the sort of thing one talks about casually. Chuck felt horrible, and _incredibly_ guilty. What was even worse was that he felt more pain for what insecurities or troubled thoughts Blair might be going through than the whole of Nate's situation to begin with. That did not help matters.

"Nathaniel!" he said by way of a casual, or perhaps even excited, manner. Then his voice took on a serious tone. "Look, I'm sorry about what happened last night. I shouldn't have…punched you," he chuckled lightly. "I haven't been a good friend to you lately, and I want to make it up to you. Call or text when you're free. Bye."

It sounded like a good message. It had that suave air that only Chuck Bass could produce, but it was all sincere and genuine. He was feeling better about it by the second. Something was nagging at him still though. He wanted to tell the blonde to get the hell away from Blair Waldorf, to not go to her party that night and to just call at midnight when it turned into her birthday, just like he'd always done. It would be the first step to making it up to her too. The vixen needed to be chased. She had done more than enough chasing of her own _boyfriend_ to last a lifetime.

Still, his thumb remained unmoving on the contacts' list. He wouldn't call his best friend to demand such things of him. Not yet at least.

……………………………………………………

He spotted her across the room, talking and laughing amongst her friends. He wanted to smile but there was a wage warring inside him and he couldn't allow the simple act. Things had gotten much worse and despite what he should have done, Chuck found himself at Blair's seventeenth birthday party.

Eventually Nate had called him back, but not before Chuck had been informed himself via newspaper just what an awful fate the Archibalds had fallen into. _Embezzlement and fraud?_ He had not seen that coming. Somehow, the Captain just always seemed like he was in control of himself and his family, his whole life really. Sure, often enough he had to go off to some meeting when he should have stayed put with his family at some holiday meal, but it was no worse than what his own father did. At least Nate had meals to go to that suggested all family members to attend.

She was so beautiful. Her hair was spun up into some exquisite style and the dress she wore was cut perfectly for the necklace he'd bought her. Though, of course, he wanted it to be seen from him originally, he just stuffed it in the heap of presents seen almost right after walking out of the elevator doors. He was half tempted to put Nate's name on the gift instead of his own. Though, it probably wouldn't have made sense when he'd called the blonde only an hour ago and told him not to show at Blair's party. He said she'd understand and that he had to work out things with his family, that he just couldn't handle Blair right now. He suggested he just call at midnight like usual. Nate had sounded defeated but in the end just wound up hanging up on Chuck after his plea. The brunette accepted it. He'd only apologized some hours before that second successful phone call. It made sense that he wouldn't be so eager to just jump on board with whatever his 'best friend' had in mind.

Their eyes locked across the room. He knew it hadn't been a good idea to stare at her so long, but he couldn't help himself. She was so gorgeous and the butterflies – _oh God, that's what they were_ – were exploding inside of him. Wherever he looked on her, he could remember just how she had felt in his arms and how right it had been until Nate had annoyingly looked down disapprovingly in his mind.

As quick as her eyes had found his, she looked away. He sighed, slightly disappointed but knowing it was for the best, that it was probably a problem he should appreciate. When everything was perfect again with her and Nate, then she would thank him and everything could go back to normal between them. If he was in luck, he'd forget his feelings for her entirely. She would just be Nate's girlfriend and a girl he respected and schemed with.

When she found his eyes again though, he started to doubt that possibility.

And then she was pushing past her friends with brief smiles and heading straight towards him. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears and he felt himself swelling with heat and then freezing with cold. He needed a distraction – any distraction, but he could not find himself to turn away from her. She was about two feet away, her gaze abruptly shifted and her jaw dropped in shock.

"N-Nate?" she managed.

Chuck's brows furrowed and he turned to look at the individual that had just exited the elevator. The blonde smiled at her. It looked so plastic and fake, though with a hint of vulnerability. Chuck gave him the benefit of the doubt, granting what he had been through.

"Hello Blair," he said. Blair's eyes were sparkling with joy, almost watering, Chuck thought. Her smile was at first tremulous but now very enthusiastic. She took the gift Nate held out to her and clutched it to her chest. Not a second later, she had grasped Nate's hand and led him through the room, dropping her gift off on the present table. Chuck's box holding the luxurious Erickson Beamon necklace dropped to the floor. No one noticed.

He didn't understand it. Blair hadn't been drenched in tears the night before. Although, he supposed he should have reminded himself of her many facades. She was probably beyond heartbroken, despite the fact that _she_ had done the breaking up. When Nate showed up, and with a gift in hand too, she must have been ecstatic. Whatever she had wanted to talk to _him_ about obviously had disappeared from her mind. The prospect of working things out with recent ex was clearly much greater.

Nate mingled among the crowd and strangely enough, drifted away from Blair. Chuck's brows furrowed. None of it was making sense. If Nate had come, why wasn't he on his hands and knees begging for forgiveness? _Oh right, family._ Chuck sighed, constantly failing to remember Nate's predicament whenever it came to Blair. He turned to look at the elevator and the complete lack of actual activity or conversation he was doing. If he wanted Blair to make up, he either had to talk to one or both of them, or he could just leave and hope nature would work things out between them. He decided on the latter. He moved just a bit around the room, so he could dispose of his now empty glass of scotch and head out the door. Unfortunately for his recent lack of self-control in regards to her, Blair's cool smooth voice stopped him from exiting the apartment completely.

"Bass, leaving so soon?"

He turned to face her and returned the smirk she had so cleverly placed on her face.

"I believe so, yes."

She looked at him coyly. It was as if this was a normal occurrence – besides the fact that she didn't look upset in the least that he was leaving before her official birthday at midnight, probably because she was distracted by Nate having just arrived – and something borderlining the taking of her virginity had not happened the night before.

"Where's my gift?" she demanded, though still in her coy mood. Chuck blinked, though still allowed the small effort of smirking at her. He inclined his head towards the direction of the pile of gifts on the right side of the room.

"With the rest of them," he said casually. She turned her head briefly to look at them and seemed to nod in approval. He waited for her to say something but all she did was return her gaze to him and analyze his expression. He decided not to look too much into it. "Happy Birthday, Blair," he smiled briefly and turned away towards the elevator. Much to his surprise, she caught his arm before he had even made a 90 degree angle.

"Chuck," she almost whispered. He froze and then slowly turned towards her as she pulled on the sleeve of his jacket. "Are we not even going to talk about it?" He blinked, his eyebrows furrowing again. He knew what she was talking about but the sudden shift in mood was not something he wanted to dwell on or try to figure out.

"Nate's here," he said, inclining his head towards the blonde drinking punch on the other side of the room. "You should try to work things out."

Her lips parted. Her eyes were not watering but he felt like they should be, or maybe that she might be dying on the inside. He wanted to kill the part of him that needed to see that, or _feel_ that.

"Chuck—" she began, _her_ eyebrows furrowing. He brought her hand into his and kissed the back of it, burning at the sensation of her skin against his.

"Happy Birthday, Blair," he said again. Finally it seemed she had gotten a grip on reality and roughly snatched her hand away. She glared at him, _hard_, and then tried to wipe out the feel of his full lips on her dress. She wanted him to stay but she hated the insistence of him leaving.

"It's not happy," she said intently. _Not without you, not when you're leaving_ went unsaid. His eyes softened a little and he was sure that repeating the 'happy birthday' would be a little monotonous, but he didn't know what else to say. He looked over her head across the room and found Nate in an intense stare with his hand's grasp on the glass of punch he held.

"Good-bye, Blair," he said simply and turned to leave. Her eyebrows narrowed and some sort of hurt evil filled her eyes. She felt like she was going to explain and she wanted to rip her dress at the seams – when she was a lone of course. She spun back around to Nate when she felt she could control herself somewhat. He looked kind of like a lost puppy, staring into the contents of his glass. She sighed, summoned her affectionate, compassionate girlfriend instincts and walked over to him.

She smiled brightly and he raised his gaze to look at her.

"Hey, Blair," he said, setting down the punch on the table.

"Should we…talk?" she offered, sighing. She didn't mean to sigh so audibly, but it just came out. She was still frustrated over Chuck's coming, not talking to her and yet staring at her, and then him just _leaving_ after Nate came.

"Look, Blair, about yesterday…"

"No, no, no," she insisted, shaking her head. "Let's talk about you," she smiled patiently. He looked at her, confused, as if he didn't understand what she was talking about. She decided to clarify. "About what happened with your father," she said softly.

"Ah," he nodded.

"Come on," she said, taking hold of his arm and guiding him to a separate room. "I hardly think a party scene is the place where you want to vent out your feelings." His eyebrows narrowed again, and he looked so very confused, but something told her he was finally realizing how there for him she really was and how much she wanted to help with whatever predicament he found himself in.

Too bad she wanted Chuck there instead of Nate, taking her virginity instead of mending things with her recent ex. It was the most selfish thing she'd wanted with anything concerning Nate – besides his infatuation with Serena – but she couldn't help it. She didn't like that Chuck had left early, and she didn't like that he wasn't touching her. Suddenly Chuck was very appealing to her and Nate just…wasn't. She would just have to force herself out of this mindset. She had loved Nate for years. An almost one-night stand with Chuck Bass should not have changed that.

"Tell me what happened," she encouraged him. He smiled a little and held her hand in his own. She felt a sharp spread of electricity crackle through her, like some sort of relief she had thought no longer existed. Maybe her desire for Nate was not as far gone as she'd thought.

"It's hardly a good birthday present," he murmured. She smiled a little, her eyes watching him lazily. Her hand slipped out of his unknowingly and he looked up at her.

"I'm sure you'll make it up to me," she said.

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A/N: So, yeah, maybe slight confusion with who she really wants there at the end, but it'll all come through soon enough. Don't you worry. ;)


	12. Not Him, You

A/N: Omg, I've been taking so long! Please forgive me. *tear* My internet just got completely screwed over and messing with my whole computer, so I've been having to transfer stuff over from another computer and it's just completely chaotic with my new busy summer schedule. So, have patience. I am getting these chapters out as fast as I can. =) Thanks for the continued reviews. They're much appreciated. I'm glad you're enjoying this story. Only one chapter left after this and I'm sure you'll thoroughly enjoy it. ;p Thanks for being with me on this lovely little journey. ;)

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**Ch.12 ****– Not Him, You**

It seemed eerily similar to the day before. Except this time the feeling of an imagined hangover didn't pound with quite so much annoyance in his head. He wondered in his head if it was going to be a good day. Then almost immediately he decided it wasn't. He'd taken the painful road of staying loyal to his best friend and doing what was "best" for Blair. It would pay off eventually, but here at the beginning it seemed like a living nightmare. The possibilities of what would've happened with Blair had he stayed at the party last night tormented him relentlessly. The fact that Nate had been there instead of him stirred a sickness in his stomach he didn't know even _existed_.

He decided to stop thinking about it. The Chuck Bass that everyone knew would be ashamed of him for dwelling so much on _feelings_. By this time he should have just gotten over it with one quick screw and an absorption of alcohol. Normally he would have done just that, even taken the liberty of manipulating and ruining the people involved, so he'd never have to deal with those horrific emotions again. Guilt was hardly a word in his vocabulary, except when it came to his core group of people, which was precisely the reason he was having such a huge problem with the current circumstances. Nate and Blair were _in_ that core group of people and thus, immune to Chuck's normal philosophy of doing things.

His phone blinked with messages and missed calls – _over fifty_. Probably a few hazy ones were from Nate, either complaining or rejoicing over something Blair Waldorf. Chuck didn't want to think about what he might be rejoicing over. It wasn't hard to imagine how overjoyed Blair would be to have lost her virginity to her knight in shining armor on the exact date of her seventeenth birthday. He shuddered, skimming through the rest of the messages and missed calls. They were all from Blair. A tight knot formed in his stomach and Chuck didn't think he could breathe.

That was when he heard someone knock on his door.

The sound made him jolt, and he would have snapped to his feet if his body was capable of moving as fast as his mind. He wasn't prepared to deal with _anyone_ of the other side of that door. Staff and unwelcome lowlies would certainly make him blow-up far more than was acceptable. His father would cause quite a lot of perspiration, putting him under pressure no doubt. And Nate and Blair? He didn't even want to think about how he'd react to them the next time he saw either of them. He hadn't gained enough energy, been away long enough, to look and sound convincing about the fact that he wanted the two of them back together.

Still, him and his silk pajamas forced his feet across the floor and over to the closed door. He lamented that the room was actually clean, minus the umade bed. It would have been a legitimate reason to get whoever was on the other side of that door _out_.

He hesitated at the door, his hand hovering over the door handle. He swallowed hard and wondered if it was in his best interest to look through the peep hole instead of surprising himself by just opening the door. Nathaniel, Blair, housekeping, his father, everyone he could think of would have announced their presence by now. He contemplated for a moment that it could be that innocent-looking blonde who'd managed to manipulate him at the Masquerade Ball. He threw that idea out almost immediately on the grounds that she did not have any real reason to be tracking him down other than to gloat. On sight, she just didn't seem like the type.

Chuck decided to surprise himself. He would scold himself relentlessly later if the decision proved idiotic. In a rush, he opened the door and immediately began to inwardly scold himself. Sweaty chills whipped up his spine, stealing his ability to speak or lower his temperature below anything that wasn't molten lava.

"Chuck," she said, her cool, sultry voice shooting straight towards his lower regions. It was also the most beautiful music to his ears.

"Blair," he said, clearing his throat, averting her intense eye contact for a few lucky seconds. He forced himself to come to a neutral or annoying (for her) topic. She needed to leave as soon as possible. He could already feel what little there was left of his self-control slipping away.

"How was the rest of your—"

She cut him off. "Can I come in?" She looked a little weary, like she hadn't gotten enough sleep, and not for lack of trying. He couldn't find it in himself to say _no. _He moved aside with his usual fluid grace and allowed her to step into the room, shutting the door behind her.

It was quiet until she made it to the middle of the room and turned back around to look at him. He was watching her warily, wondering at which angle she was going to play, and thus how he would best be able to defend himself. The goal was to get her to leave so he could recover himself and be better prepared for their next interaction.

"I wanted to thank you for the necklace. It's very beautiful," she said with a bit of a smile. Images flashed through his head of him putting the necklace on her and telling her how beautiful she looked – more beautiful than _anybody_. The images had been replaying in his head since he'd first bought it for her some weeks earlier. The only difference now was that he knew exactly what she looked like when she opened it. That was the only silver lining he'd been able to come to from attending her party, however briefly, the night before.

"It was so…" she trailed off at a loss for words. Then her eyes flickered back to his. "I wasn't going to keep it, but both Nate _and_ Serena convinced me otherwise." A few chuckles subsided into her soft, small smile, the one that'd been practically glued to her face since she'd walked through the door. Though his lips were pursed, there was a bit of joy in Chuck's eyes that she hadn't simply gotten rid of the necklace because of its price. It was a one-of-a-kind after all. Despite that she usually spoiled herself rotten, even Blair Waldorf had her limits. If she had gotten rid of it, he would have taken it differently, despite if he should have or not. It would have been like getting rid of _him_, and he didn't know if he could handle the possibility of her disposing of him from her life just because he'd bought something over the normal budget. Or maybe because he'd distanced himself from her and Nate had possibly come to his senses.

"Chuck," she said, walking towards him now as he stood, almost stiff, by the closed door. His heartrate sped up. "I know what…happened, or," she swallowed hard, clinging to the courage she'd summoned to bring up the topic, "…or what didn't happen between us the other night would prove for an excellent excuse to make things awkward now, but I don't want it to."

His eyes focused intensely on hers. He did not even try to deny the conclusions she'd come to.

"You're one of my best friends, Chuck. I don't want to lose you because of…"

_"I need you, okay?"_

"Did you work things out with Nate?" he asked, working as hard as he could to keep from falling under her charms and sentimentalities. She ignored his question. What happened the night before with Nate flickered briefly in her mind before fading away completely.

"Spend the day with me?" she asked, a small glimpse of vulnerability slipping through. He parted his lips, hesitating horribly. But then he remembered himself how he'd declared the demand of a day out with her to his mind, for what he'd put her through regardless of it being for her best. He could not deny the meeting of minds.

"Waldorf, that is an excellent idea."

Her eyes sparkled in response.

……………………………………………………………………

She should have probably felt awkward when they first slipped into the limo. They both probably should have. But if they did, it was only for a spare moment. Easily enough they moved into normal conversation, and any sexual tension was pretty much ignored until the end of the day. Regardless, there were some moments where Blair's conversation the night before with Nate left her feeling very disoriented.

_"Blair, I really appreciate what you're doing for me. You've probably been trying to do it all along, but I just didn't realize it. I've been one ass of a boyfriend."_

_She blinked as if she hadn't heard him correctly._

_"W-What?" she managed. His eyes were searching hers, as clear and blue as she'd always remembered. The eyes she could always get lost in. Still, something felt off._

_"Chuck's been trying to tell me over and over again ever since Serena came back, but I just didn't listen. I didn't want to. I was too…" he trailed off. Her eyes closed in the anguish and hurt that so readily came to the surface with the mention of her now ex-boyfriend and best friend._

_"Mesmerized?" she offered up. He looked up at her with regretful eyes, and nodded once._

_"Blair, I'm really sorry." He was pleading and she knew it. She knew if it had been weeks, months earlier she would have taken him back in a heartbeat. She wouldn't have broken up with him either. She hadn't, not weeks and months ago. But now things were different._

_"Nate, I…"_

_"You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry." He took her wrist in his hand and kissed her palm. She was shaking a little just watching him. She felt an overbearing need to pull away. "And maybe eventually," he continued, "you can consider taking me back?"_

_She should have been ecstatic at everything he was saying and the commitment he was finally willing to make, she told herself. But all she could know for certain was the intensity of the feeling demanding her to scream because she just could not hold it together anymore. It wasn't that she wanted him to fight harder for her, like maybe she should have felt. She just didn't want him anymore. She'd thought it was exactly what she'd wanted for so long, but it seemed that in his mistreatment of her, the only thing she'd clung on to was the want to have him be that perfect boyfriend she'd always wanted, the boyfriend she must have imagined before she'd learned of Serena sleeping with him. Blair had mourned for weeks to Chuck about Nate's lack of showing he loved her, and maybe his love for her entirely. Nate was her all and she had lost him to her best friend. Somehow though now it was not her bubbling joy in that he'd finally returned to her and the in-love feeling she had become used to getting whenever she was around him, except recently. There was some relief in his speech, definitely, but now she also felt obligation and that wasn't something she wanted to live with. It was a shocking revelation for her, one she partly didn't want to accept. It seemed wrong somehow, pushing away the boy she'd loved for countless years, her first love. The possibility that she'd fallen for the notorious womanizer, Chuck Bass, was definitely a scary thought, but it was not as shameful as she'd once believed it to be, and it was a fact she was no longer going to deny._

_"No," she said. Her voice was so low and dark, she hardly heard it herself. He blinked, looking up into her eyes and away from the wrist he held in his hand. He watched her cautiously. His eyebrows furrowed, unsure how he should respond to something that may have purely been in his mind._

_"Blair—"_

_"No," she cut him off, pulling her hand away. He watched helplessly as it slipped out of his grasp. Blair pulled in her rage at the situation. Nate wasn't the source of her anger, even if he should have been after all that he'd done. She couldn't let herself blow up and accuse him of changing her entire perspective. He was partially to blame, it was true. But there was almost a magical sense of certainty that what had happened with her and Chuck would have been inevitable._

_"No," she repeated, softer this time. Her eyes were surprisingly watery when she looked at him. The reminder shot through her of all that she'd be giving up by officially not letting Nate back in, or even letting him fight for her with a sort of open-mind. She knew she could fall back in love with him under the proper circumstances, but she didn't want to. The comfort she felt in Chuck's arms was so far above anything that Nate could offer her. Nate just wasn't enough anymore, and she didn't have the strength to hold on to the tiny possibilities he'd offered her on the night of her seventeenth birthday party._

_"I wasn't just mad at you when I told you I didn't need you, Nate. I really don't. You add nothing to my life, haven't for awhile, and as long as Serena's existence, I've been more or less a burden to you." She stood to her feet and brushed out the nonexistent wrinkles in her dress and ignoring the panicked expression pressed in upon his face._

_"Blair, wait—" he stood to his feet after her. "I said I was sorry. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get you back. Please."_

_She looked at him pleading in front of her and almost reconsidered. It was the feeling of Chuck embracing her from behind that kept her firm in her convictions. The desire to have Chuck right there doing exactly that was far more intense than anything she'd wanted involving Nate, especially the idea of marrying him or him taking her virginity._

_"You always wanted to help me with what I was going through. My famly's gotten into some serious trouble, Blair, and I need someone to get me through it." He walked to where she'd retreated a few feet away. "I need you, Blair."_

_She caught her breath in her throat, momentarily paralyzed. She'd waited so long to hear him say those words. But now it just simply didn't matter. She pitied him, felt bad for him, wanted to help him, but somehow she knew she wouldn't be in love with him ever again, not even if Chuck or any other guy threw her to the street. Unless she acted now. But she couldn't. She just couldn't, and she wouldn't ever again._

_"I'm here for you, Nate," she said softly. His face relaxed a little. "But just as your friend." She pulled her hand away from his again. In a final attempt he had tried to reach out to her. She moved for the hall and paused in the doorway. Nate's face looked crushed, and despite all that had happened, it burned her to see him so utterly crushed from the experience. In that brief moment it didn't matter how much harm he had unintentionally caused her throughout the last few months. _

_"I don't have the strength to be anything else anymore," she said. "I'm sorry."_

She thought a little more about her conversation with Nate, but nothing else really stood out. The blonde had apparently had some sort of sudden revelation concerning her and himself. He realized what a jerk he was being, and how extremely selfish, and he finally was going to make up for it, to make things right between the two of them. He was starting to open up to her about his family and everything was slowly falling into place. Blair wished it had happened a few months earlier. All of her dreams would have come true and she could have forgotten Nate and Serena had ever had their little tryst to begin with.

But that was not the case. Now she just had to reveal the secrets she'd come to accept and hope he felt the same way. She was really going out on a limb, and Chuck was very obviously trying not to cross that border of betrayal with his best friend. But he cared about _her_ too. Maybe that was enough to sway his decisions in her favor. She hoped it was. She knew she'd be utterly lost if he rejected her _again_.

"I have to say, Bass. This day has been pretty incredible."

He turned his head towards hers and his eyes lit up with excited satisfaction. "I'm Chuck Bass, baby," he leered towards her, completely in his element. "I never disappoint."

Her eyes sparkled. "So you say," she began coyly, "but today you really outdid yourself. Barhopping, shopping to practically every major fashion designer store, a bunch of my favorite cafes, walking in the park—"

"Ah yes," he slinked into the leather seat of the limo and folded his hands behind his bed. "You were quite beside yourself, weren't you?" he turned and looked at her, smiling like an idiot. She couldn't stop herself from giggling and absentmindedly waved her hand around, accidentally brushing the sleeve of his shirt as her hand landed back on the seat.

The atmosphere inside the moving vehicle shifted. It was not very abrupt and didn't cause for obvious awkardness, but both of them felt it. They became aware of the last time they were so giddy and in the back of a limo late at night. Blair wanted to just throw herself on him and admit to her feelings later. At least then she'd have the loss of her virginity to him to cherish for the rest of her life. She didn't know quite how to do it though. She knew the last time when he'd pushed her away it had probably been mostly having to do with Nate – Nate being an asshole to her, Nate being furious if he found out his best friend had slept with his very recent ex-girlfriend. But there was a part of her that was being gnawed at fiercely, the part of her that plagued her with nightmares that she wasn't good enough, and that _that_ was the reason nothing further had happened between them.

"I was," she said very quietly. The cockiness had slipped off his face and he looked at her very seriously, cautiously searching for answers across her face and in the way she moved. She wasn't moving much.

"Chuck—" she turned her body towards him and was caught off guard by how intensely he was looking at her. She gasped. His eyebrows furrowed at her reaction.

"What? What is it?"

She just watched him, trying to figure him out now just as he had tried to figure out her.

"What was wrong with me?" she asked, her voice small and vulnerable again. He looked completely confused, but she cut him off before he could ask another penetrating question. "The night you left me. Not last night, but the night before. What was wrong with me?" She didn't mean to have choked up sobs inching into her voice but she couldn't help herself. It was the first time she'd asked the question out loud, even to herself. Sure, it had only really been about two days, but it seemed like an eternity and she _needed to know_.

"Nothing," he said instinctively. He could tell in her eyes though that it was not the answer she wanted. He sighed and prepared himself for a full explanation. "It had nothing to do with you Blair. It was all about Nate and what he'd done to you and what he'd do to me if…"

"If what?" she asked, now breathless. He may have not meant it in a sensual way but she felt her body come alive at his almost mention of them sleeping together.

"If I had taken your virginity," he said. Their eyes were locked on each other. Very slowly, Chuck inched his way across the seat and lowered his face to kiss her soft, supple lips. They were so very inviting and both felt a spark of energy at the intimate touch. He pulled back slowly as she readjusted herself. It was too déjà vu. He wouldn't let himself continue, couldn't believe they'd gotten this far, without clearing up where she stood with Nate and where the both of them stood with the absent blonde.

"What happened with Nate? At your party," he asked quickly as she leaned in to kiss him again. She halted, blinked and focused in on him as if trying to remember what he'd said only a second ago.

"It's over," she said simply. "He wanted to get back together. He was willing to do everything to fix the mess that he made. It was what I'd always wanted to happen, what I'd been dreaming about for months, but I…"

"What?" he asked breathlessly, thoughtlessly being unable to let her finish all at once. He had to know why she'd refused the only boy she'd ever loved. If it was a legitimate reason, he might have a shot. The knowledge of that possibility sent excitement shooting through his veins.

"I don't love him anymore," she said, as if it hurt her to say it. "I've been wanting him to come back around, to love me again, or at least show me if he did still love me, but…my whole failing relationship had become a fairytale story in shambles that I wasn't participating in. I was just watching." She shook her head, running her thoughts through what had all happened with Nate. "I could never live my life watching a relationship that I couldn't truly enjoy or be part of anymore. I'm in a different story now. There's just no point in going back, and I don't have the strength to do it."

It was some sort of metaphor to fairytales. He knew that much. He wasn't quite sure what it all meant or if in some subtle way she was choosing him behind her wall of secrets. His lips parted though and his breaths became very uneven. Then he felt one of her dainty little hands close around the collar of his shirt. He swallowed very hard and tried to adjust his mind to what he knew was now inevitable. Blair leaned in now and brushed her lips against his, just like before but with a hint of teasing when she spoke barely an inch above his lips.

"I want you," she whispered huskily, the tip of her tongue slipping out just barely and gracing the line of his full bottom lip. He groaned in response and his hand came around to her waist where he grasped at her perfect curves. "Don't push me away."

He needed no more invitation. His heart and his body wouldn't let him resist any longer but the slight movement in his body towards her sent her own body whirling and she crushed her lips forcefully against his before he could make another move or even verbally respond to her demand. Immediately he pulled her onto his lap, his hands flying, gripping, piercing practically every inch of her skin, ripping at her clothes just as she was ripping at his. There was no foreplay, no slow motion. That had already been done two days prior. This was raw, animal, needy sex, with the exception of when he first entered her. She was a virgin and he'd known it'd be at least a little painful for her, so Chuck Bass became the gentle lover no one else had ever known him to be. She sighed tremulously and a few tears trickled down her face at the invasion but no longer than a few minutes later she had recovered enough for him to proceed. He still waited a bit longer though, kissing the tears on her face and whispering how very amazing and beautiful she was against the curve of her breast and the length of her throat. The ministrations in and around her he used with his hands nearly pushed her over the edge and soon enough she was begging him to pump into her – _in and out, in and out_.

"_Chuck!_" she cried out in complete ecstasy of the whole experience. He groaned, moaned, multiple times and called out her name like it was the only one he knew. Their feelings were so real, so palpable, but no 'I love you's were shared in those moments. They would be addressed in the morning when Chuck hoped beyond all hope that he hadn't only wanted Blair because she was forbidden.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

A/N: Hope you enjoyed. =) See, still the back of the limo. I wouldn't take that away from you guys! Lol. I wouldn't take it away from me either. XD Haha. I'll try to update soon for this. Please review. The next thing I'm updating will probably be tE or F, but I will really _really_ try to update BaTF, especially since there's only one chapter left. Heheh. As soon as that one and this one are done, I can concentrate more fully on that new fic I'm obviously doing. ;p hehe


	13. Defeated Interference

A/N: I _hugely_ apologize for not updating _anything_ in the last week or so, but I hardly had any time to do _anything_, and the time I did have I dedicated to vidding. I just needed to finish the vid I started right before the finale, and the clips just came up for it a few days ago, so…yeah. Plus I'm having complications with youtube now too. *sigh* Anyways, read on. I am officially going to be dedicating my spare time to writing again – at least for awhile. This is the last chapter in this story besides the epilogue, which I will be writing right away after this. Then it will be finally finished! Yay! Please review. =)

*I own nothing.

…..

**Ch.13—Defeated Interference**

He felt sticky – not much, but a little. His back and his neck also shared a slight soreness. But the pain and uncomfortable state he seemed to be in vanished in a heartbeat when he saw and felt the soft and equally sticky body of Blair Waldorf nestled against him, her slender arm reaching across his chest. The feel of her breath on his skin sent butterflies whirring throughout his stomach in the biggest explosion he was sure had ever taken place – metaphysical or otherwise. Now he knew it had not been an illusion, not in the slightest. It had been his one fear in regards to his feelings for her. There might have been a benefit from only desiring her because she was untouchable, because she was _Nate's_. But she wasn't anymore. She was _his_, at least for the moment, and he'd never wanted her more – never wanted anything else this much in his entire life.

He heard her moan beside him and then felt the tantalizingly delicious tickle of her fingers playing with the curling hairs on his chest.

"Hey," she said, softly spoken – _content_. There was no regret in her voice, no great need to retreat. He thought he might have been imagining it, but it was very possible she even moved closer to him. He grinned down wildly at him.

"Mornin', tiger." The sparkle in his eyes did not go unnoticed by her. She blushed furiously and looked away, tried to cover the embarrassment from her apparent behavior the night before. "Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed of," he said, pulling her back to him when she slowly started to slip away. "In fact," he said, bringing her ear to the brink of his mouth, "I _like_ it." He felt her shiver under his touch and took that as a sign of success. He smirked and loosened his grip slightly.

She settled against him and relaxed in his embrace, her head gently falling back onto the cooling skin of his chest. Unknowingly, she started to play with the hair on his chest again. She heard his breath hitch and stilled, but only for a moment. A mischievous smirk lit up her features. Her eyes danced when she looked up at him.

"Was I really that good?" she asked, the curiosity underlying her words quite evident to him. He raised his eyebrows in amusement.

"Need I show you the scratch marks on my back?"

She smiled coyly, proudly. "That could just be evidence of your handiwork, Bass," she informed him, though fully expecting him to outdo her in her flattery. She had perhaps forgotten for a moment that he was _Chuck Bass_ and almost demanded flattery wherever he could get it, even if it was only because he was rich and dangerously hot.

"You flatter me, Waldorf." He smiled for another minute before shrugging on of his shoulders. "Very well," he said, "I suppose I must take credit for the most effervescent experience."

She frowned, her bow-shaped lips pushing out and her perfectly manicured eyebrows narrowing just a tad. It immediately tugged at his heart strings, but the fact that she had taken his teasing seriously flabbergasted him.

"No one would have ever known you were a virgin," he told her. She looked up at him. Her face brightened a bit. She wanted to question him further – it being her first time and all, but she kept her mouth shut. Regardless of how close they were, she knew her face would be flushed red all morning if she attempted to discuss just exactly what all was on her mind the morning after she'd lost her virginity. She felt a bit vulnerable, wondered if she could talk to someone about all that she was feeling. She contemplated Serena briefly before reminding herself that the person who really knew her inside and out – _understood_ her – was pressed up against her.

"What are you thinking?" he asked her. Her eyelashes fluttered and a warm feeling filled her stomach when she saw him staring at her in complete adoration. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. He leaned his head forward and captured her lips briefly. She sighed contently into his mouth and the hand playing with the curls on his chest drifted up to wrap around his neck. She pushed herself closer to him and felt as one of his hands gripped her waist. She smiled against him.

"What are you thinking?" he asked again, whispering this time. She could not contain the feeling any longer. It was now or never, she told herself. And when she looked into his eyes now she saw her own feelings reflected, and all the vulnerabilities surrounding her first time vanished.

"I'm thinking I might be in love you."

His breath caught in his throat, and for one painful second she panicked because the fear of her interpreting all his signs wrong raced through her mind. But then he kissed her again, and it was strangled but he responded to her quiet declaration.

"I _know_ I'm in love with you," he murmured, his forehead then lying softly against the side of her face. Both her hands slipped around his neck and she pulled him closer, decorating his skin with kisses. She felt shivers run up her spine when he traced light circles along the contours of her back. They were both naked, she realized. In the back of her mind, she remembered where their clothes had landed in the throes of passion. It hardly mattered now though. She could spend all day just lying next to him – just like this, with only their love and their physical attraction to keep them company. It was more than enough.

"Was I _okay_ at least?" she asked a long while later, her vulnerability and insecurities gnawing at her again. She tried to play off the question as sarcasm, and failed miserably. He lifted his head and looked down at her a little strangely.

"Okay?" he asked, his voice a little strangled.

"Yeah," she gestured her hands about a bit. "I mean, I know you 'love' me," she rolled her eyes for dramatic effect, "but—"

"Whoa. Wait," he put just enough distance between them to motion for her to stop speaking, to stop _accusing_ and _assuming_ and _condemning_ both of them. "You think I didn't mean it when I said I loved you?" He was aghast, confused, and majorly offended. Blair wanted desperately to escape when she saw the look on his face. She'd taken a wrong turn by opening up about her feelings – her still constant fears. She was scared to death of what was going to happen next. _They couldn't be fighting already, could they?_

"I…"

"I wasn't," he cut her off. He gripped her shoulders and looked intently at her with piercing hazel-brown eyes. Then he kissed her hard on the mouth. She was almost unresponsive from shock. "You were _amazing_," he murmured insistently. "Best lay I ever had," he nearly moaned against her. "I wouldn't lie about something like that, especially not just to make you feel better." He lowered his head to press kisses to her throat.

His words encouraged her, made her feel quite accomplished, even if the slight fear of cruel words in the future when she _did_ act uncoordinated loomed.

"I'll teach you," he said. Her eyebrows furrowed, wondering how he had known exactly what she had been thinking.

"Hmm?" she asked, slightly confused. He raised his head to look at her with glinting, playful eyes.

"I'll teach you all about _sexual pleasure_," his eyes darkened in a suggestive manner and she almost gasped. A warmth pooled in her belly and lowered to her core. She could already feel herself moistening, preparing for his entrance. She felt as though both of them had been enveloped in an enormously delicious heat.

Her mouth came down upon his, hard and demanding. She straddled him fiercely and he groaned at the feel of her against him. He was hard and the evidence of his arousal pressed against her. She shivered again, knew she'd always enjoy this element of their relationship, even if she didn't particularly know what they had now. She dismissed the fact for the time-being. Her passion had taken over, and her love as well.

"You're everything," she choked – _cried_ out. He groaned beneath her and pulled her closer. Desperately he grasped at a condom and slipped it into place.

He'd never get tired of her; he knew it as sure as he knew his own name. The way she rode him, and how she looked at him with every ounce of the overwhelming love in her heart for _him_ told him so. It etched the perfect picture of what he'd always wanted – _needed_ – and never had.

"Blair," he breathed. The feel of her nails raking across his back again drove him crazy. "Blair…Blair…" he panted, desperate for more of her.

"_Chuck!_" she cried out. He quickened the rhythm their bodies made. He could no longer think straight, but he would not let the moment pass unnoticed. He promised himself he would keep her. _Nate be damned_.

…

Despite the fear of judgment she might have gotten from the blonde, Blair called Serena and they met up at a restaurant just a few blocks away from Times Square. Blair told her everything – _everything_. She knew she should have included her once or twice during the midst of it all, especially since they'd finally come back together and were on better terms, but she had been so unsure of her feelings for Chuck and what they even could have that she didn't dare spill the spinning thoughts to anyone, not even Serena.

"You _slept_ with him?" Serena asked, aghast. Judgment and condemnation were written in her eyes and all over her face. Blair told her she should have expected this, more so than she had, but she could only manage to close her eyes in a bit of frustration and definite acceptance.

"I think you're missing the point, S," she said quite determinedly. The blonde blinked at her like she was out of her mind and Blair sighed. "It wasn't an accident, and it certainly wasn't to get revenge on Nate – who, by the way, I would appreciate if you didn't tell about this for the time being. I wanted this, and Chuck wants it too."

She scoffed, seeming unable to get past the fact that _Chuck Bass_ had taken her best friend's virginity in the back of his limo when she had only ever wanted a romantic candlelit experience with her forever boyfriend, Nate Archibald.

"All Chuck Bass wanted from you was to 'tap your ass'," she said, sounding annoyed by her best friend's naïveté.

"He said he loves me," Blair insisted. Serena looked at her in disbelief and shook her head.

"Well, I've never heard him use that line before…" she sighed, muttering under her breath. Blair's eyebrows narrowed.

"It wasn't a line, S. He meant it. I know Chuck better than anybody. He wasn't playing me, or anybody. And what happened to no judgment?" her eyebrows narrowed.

"I'm not!" she backfired, suddenly very aware of how Blair might be interpreting her words. "I'm just worried about you." She reached her hand across the table to clasp Blair's hand in her own. "Chuck's got a track record, and…" she changed directions at the last second, feeling Blair would not take well to more doubting on Chuck's aspect of a _romantic relationship_. "I thought you wanted to wait. I thought you wanted to make things special."

"Don't you get it? It was special, _because_ it was with _him_."

Serena shook her head at her, in complete disbelief that these words were actually coming out of her best friend's mouth. "Do you hear yourself talking?" she asked. Blair shook her head and bit her lip, rising irritation bubbling up in her throat. "You sound like one of the dazed girls Chuck lures in for his nightly lays."

Blair sighed, quite frustrated. "I know you can't understand this—"

Serena cut her off. "He tried to rape Jenny," she said, forcing as much deadly persuasion as she could in her voice and her stare.

"She had it coming to her," Blair shrugged it off. Serena let it pass for the moment.

"He tried to rape me."

Blair's mouth opened and then closed. She realized she could not retort with the same words, and was torn. Her eyes flicked up to hers and she decided to take a different route.

"Maybe it's not possible for you to conceive that Chuck Bass actually has a _heart._" She slipped her purse over her shoulder and clenched her fingers around it, rising from her seat. Serena looked at her worriedly. "But he does. The least you can do is be happy for me," she said lightly, before moving around the table and walking out the door.

Serena slumped in her chair, not even watching as her best friend traipsed down the sidewalk and into her waiting limo. The lunch/get-together was supposed to last much longer than this, she guessed. But it was simply impossible to conceive that the day after Blair broke it off with Nate, she was in love with Chuck Bass, notorious womanizer of the Upper East Side. Blair had told her the whole story, of course, from the moment she'd been informed of both Nate and her own betrayal, but Serena just didn't _get it_.

When they were younger, everything was bliss. Even if Blair and Nate hadn't started dating until middle school, it didn't change the fact of who went together and who didn't. Chuck and Blair had always been mischievous and brunette, but as far as Serena had observed in her girlishly playful days, that had been it. It had never been _Chuck _and _Blair_. It had been Nate and Blair, Serena and Blair, and Chuck and Nate. That had been _it_.

Serena fiddled with her cell phone dancing between her fingers on the marble-top table. She remembered Blair's words, and didn't even want to dream of betraying her again. But there seemed only one other person who she could rely this information to. Dan wouldn't understand. He understood everything else in her life, but he did not understand Blair Waldorf. He detested her and she detested him. It was a known fact. The few moments they did lower their guard enough to help each other were simply seen as unwritten by the time they were over. Serena had no other choice but to call Nate.

"… _it certainly wasn't to get revenge on Nate – who, by the way, I would appreciate if you didn't tell about this for the time being…"_

Serena gulped and blocked out the words repeating themselves louder and louder in her head. Blair wasn't making sense. Nate fighting for her would obviously bring her to her senses. And if Chuck did have a heart, he would back away the moment she realized her mistake – with _him_.

"Serena?" Nate answered the phone sounding very quizzical. She didn't blame him. They hadn't really talked in ages, and the last time was under severe no _touch – no talk_ instances. That and when she'd been frantic about him finding her at the Masquerade Ball.

"Yeah, h-hi, Nate," she said a little awkwardly. She cursed herself for it and was starting to regret the phone call already, but she forced herself to continue. Nate needed to know, if he ever wanted Blair back again, which by Blair's story it sounded like he did. Plus, she could make sense of her best friend's love-struck tale. Out of anyone, she would have never guessed Blair Waldorf would get seduced by Chuck Bass. She just hoped Nate would talk with her calmly and help her figure things out like he had before the Ball. She never _thought_ he was the violent type.

"There's something I think you should know…"

…

"My turn."

Chuck whirled and hit the front trunk of his limo as Nate's fist came into fierce contact with his jaw. He winced and tried to recover before his 'best friend' came at him.

"What?" he choked out, not surprised in the least where the punch came from but still needed the knowledge vocalized. Nate scoffed.

"You _know_ what," he said, grabbing Chuck by the collar of his shirt and pulling him back just to slam him back onto the limo. Chuck wondered if it would be more beneficial for this to be done outside of school for Gossip Girl's sake but always kind of hated the bitch – unless it proved advantageous for him, of course – and would _continue_ to do so.

"Did you sleep with her, huh?" Nate fumed when Chuck didn't say a word. His hands were still wrapped tightly around his throat and Chuck hoped he wouldn't die on the spot. It would be horribly tragic and he couldn't bear the thought of what it would do to Blair. Their morning had been incredible, and it killed him to think it would be the last one of its kind.

"You son of a bitch, I could kill you," Nate ground out. Chuck was starting to get even more worried. He figured a calm approach would be best until he was safely away from death's clutches.

"Could we talk about this without your hands around my neck?" His voice wasn't forceful, but it did have a certain commanding quality to it.

Nate almost laughed. He instantly released his hands and stepped away some distance. Then he turned back to Chuck and looked as if he was prepared to charge him as a bull does anything in red. Chuck waited for him to yell fiercely at him, blaming him for everything that had happened and gone wrong in his life, including Blair. He certainly looked like he wanted to go off at him, but his tongue seemed to have gotten caught and Chuck was extremely wary at the lengthy, tense pause.

"Nate," he said finally, drawing the blonde in from where he must have drifted. The blonde's angry blue eyes flicked back to him instantly. He shook his head and paced back and forth on the empty sidewalk where they stood.

"I should have known you would do this. You've been an asshole of a best friend the last few months, and now I know why. Not only did you trade in our friendship for one with Blair, but you traded in her virginity as some sort of thing to hold over my head, just because we'd broken up."

Chuck sighed and walked towards him, determined to at least _try_ to make amends. "I've been an ass, and I'm sorry, but you have no idea what I went through!"

"What _you_ went through?" Nate looked at him, gaping beyond belief. Chuck immediately realized his mistake and panic raced across his face.

"My fa—" he broke off and shook his head, laughing a bit in the incredulous notion of what he'd almost done. "No, you don't deserve it. You've chosen Blair and that's what you get," he spat. Chuck felt a chill shoot up his spine. He knew he'd have more than enough if he had Blair, but the thought of life without Nate was almost inconceivable. They'd been best friends practically from birth.

"No, you don't deserve it," he finished. "How long did you wait?" he asked mockingly.

"You guys were broken up," Chuck said, holding onto that one truth.

"Oh, Serena told me. She told me everything," he spat. Chuck's eyebrows narrowed.

"And you think that has nothing to do with the Blair breaking up with you?" he nearly screamed. Chuck had never felt it in him to scream like a girl, but he didn't know if yelling would raise the pitch enough. Nate just scoffed at him.

"You don't know what you're talking about." He began pacing again. He fumed.

"Oh, don't I?" he walked straight up to Nate and grabbed a hold of his arm, forcing him to stop. Angry brown and blue pierced through each other. "Serena has been the only thing on your mind besides your father since the second she came back, and even before then. Blair just refused to see it until her best friend was back in the flesh. You've been emotionally unfaithful to her for a long time."

Nate reared his head back, still in his mocking state. "Oh, so you screwing Blair for sport is my fault?" he yelled at him. Chuck retaliated fiercely mid-pace.

"It wasn't for sport!" he shouted back. "She needed someone and I was there!"

"Oh, so you cared about her! What else is new? It seems she's the only one you _do_ care about these days. But maybe that's a lie too, and you've just decided I'm not worth your time anymore, and if I was, only as your new manipulation." The sarcasm was overwhelming and Chuck couldn't take it anymore. He stormed right up to Nate and pushed him. Nate's eyes were fierce and angry but he did not react quick enough to push back. He stumbled a little and had to take a moment to catch his bearings. Once he was back in control, he looked at Chuck and how angry he appeared.

"You gonna punch me again?" he dared. Chuck's eyebrows narrowed and he felt extremely tempted to do so. His hands clenched into fists but he didn't move. Finally, Nate just scoffed again and turned away, determined to leave. Chuck panicked once more, the threat of losing their relationship causing him actual pain as he stalked after him.

"Nate, you know how long you and I have been best friends. Just because I fell in lo—" Chuck was cut off by Nate ripping away his arm from Chuck's grasp and then the shocking realization of his best friend's almost declaration evident on his face. He couldn't even speak. Eventually he stepped some feet away and then looked at Chuck like he had betrayed the whole world with the intent of hurting him the most.

"You stay away from me," he said, his voice suddenly extremely calm. He turned away completely and stalked off. Chuck could not find it in him to call after him. Somehow though, he knew a camera phone had gone off. The whole fight would be on a Gossip Girl blast sooner or later. _He honestly didn't give a shit._

…

It was late when she finally came to him. After thinking about his confrontation with Nate all afternoon, he was beginning to think she actually wouldn't come. The whole conversation still burned fresh in his mind. It was a broken record that he desperately wished he could break. He wanted to watch it shatter in a million pieces, so he could properly put it back together in a way that _wouldn't_ damage or end their friendship.

"Chuck?"

Her voice was as sweet as honey and it lessened the heavy guilt being pounded down into his gut, making his heart sink.

"I'm here," he said softly, grateful for the maid service at moments like this. The suite was pitch-black besides the stream of moonlight coming in through the far window. He was content with the knowledge that Blair would not trip over something on her way over to him. It was slightly amusing and aroused the curiosity in him later on when he wondered why she had not just turned on the lights.

Overwhelming comfort and security surrounded him when he felt her body slide in behind his on the bed and curl around him. He arm wrapped around his waist and he turned to face her in their embrace. He pressed a soft, gentle kiss to her lips.

"I've missed you," he sighed into her mouth, sounding completely defeated.

"You didn't think I'd come," she translated, tucking her head into the crook of his neck. His arm drew her closer and he pressed a kiss into her hair.

"I didn't," he admitted.

"I think my confrontation with Serena went just about as bad as yours with Nate."

He pulled his head back to look at her, amused quirky expression on his face. "Really?" Her eyelashes fluttered around a bit as she rolled her eyes.

"I said _just about_. Obviously there was no physical violence involved in ours. Us females are actually somewhat civil," she said matter-of-factly. Chuck chuckled lightly, deciding not to mention the incident of Serena and Blair tackling full-on during the Ivy League Week.

"And did you work things out with Serena?" he asked, eager to gain the upper hand, even in the playful sense. Blair sighed. "Me neither," he joined her sigh with his own. She looked up at him adoringly.

"But I still love you," she traced the line of his jaw with her finger. He caught her hand before it left his face and pressed a kiss to her palm.

"Me too," he confided. Then he leaned his forehead against hers. "If I can have no one else, I'll have you." She smiled a little, almost said _me too_, until he started talking again. "I don't really know about how this whole love thing," he admitted, and it almost scared her except for the brutal honesty in it. "I've never had anyone really love me, or tell me they love me at least." He sighed wearily. "But I feel the way you look when you look at me and the way we act together. I love that feeling, and I would die without it." She smiled softly again.

"I don't know when it was that I got so soft and started talking romantic," he said, "but I'm going to blame you and your devilishly sexy ways." He smirked. A fire lit inside her and the small smile exploded into a wide grin on her face. She could hardly contain herself and grabbed his face in her hands, kissing him fiercely to release the energy.

"I think _I'm_ the one who's supposed to break off the romantic moment with hot sex," he murmured against her lips. She giggled a little and then moved on top of him. She leaned down and kissed him again, softer this time, lighter.

"I love you, Chuck Bass," she sighed, nestling her figure against him. He reached around and held her to him with his hands lying atop her back at her waist line. He was extremely tempted to reach down and squeeze her buttocks, but resisted temporarily.

"You don't doubt my love for you?" he asked, confused now with the whole notion. "Even though I'm not really sure what it is," he sighed, "or what it means?"

She lifted her head and looked at him, her chin resting neatly atop stacked hands and crossed arms. "I don't," she said, smiling softly again. "You _want_ me." He grunted shamelessly. "I can _feel_ it," she raised an eyebrow and smirked at the feel of his erection poking against her.

He chuckled briefly before pulling her head towards him and capturing her lips. He groaned into her. She stopped him before they could get much farther. There was a definite pout on his lips.

"I know this love thing is new to you, but there's something I need to know," she said very seriously, her eyes intent on his. His physical desire for her dimmed slightly as he concentrated on her approaching request.

"What are we now, Chuck?" she asked. He could hear the pain in her voice and it physically hurt him. He was so confused and a little scared over what had happened to him in regards to her, but he wasn't about to let her go. A smirk appeared on his face. Her eyebrows furrowed, wondering how he'd found humor out of the situation. She almost blushed and paled all at once.

"I was thinking…" he began, twisting a finger in one of her curls, "that you could be my girlfriend."

Her eyes sparkled and excited energy crackled through her once again. In hindsight, she wondered why she did not scream or squeal. He felt her fingers dig into the back of his neck as she tried to maintain eye contact with him before tumbling into the inevitable passion that had always been held at bay.

"We'll deal with Nate and Serena later," he smirked. Her eyes lit up further and her nails dug deeper into his skin. His arousal resurrected and he flipped them over, pinning her into the bed. Then she forced her mouth onto his and lost her breath. There was no doubt in his mind that this was _exactly_ what he'd needed to save him from his misery. _She would always be what he needed._

"Remind me to reward you for your brilliant intuition," she said huskily against his throat as her teeth nibbled his skin before returning to his lips with a fierceness that startled him. He grunted but found it in him to chuckle as well.

"That shouldn't be a problem."

…

A/N: Hope you enjoyed. Epilogue coming up next, this week if I can help it. Heh. And worry not, all my other fics will still be updated gradually. Please review.


	14. Epilogue

A/N: A little bit of a wait, yes, but seriously the first time this week after my last update I actually had to sit down and write. *shakes head* Ridiculous. Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed this story. I definitely have. I am ever thankful for all you wonderful readers and reviewers. You always make my story-writing more interesting and exciting. I hope you love this little end. Make sure to vote on my poll for the next BoB fic I'll be writing. ;)

*I do _not_ own "Gossip Girl" or its characters. No copyright infringement intended.

…

**Epilogue—**

She didn't say anything, but he wasn't stupid. The Van der Woodsens didn't really _do _Thanksgiving formally. They always went to the Waldorf's. That wouldn't be the case this year, and Chuck wished he could fix it. But he couldn't fix it anymore than Blair could fix Nate's still constant hatred towards his once best friend. If they hadn't been so in love with each other to the state where they could hardly think about anything else, they would have been drowning in the deepest depression. They would have been miserable.

"Can I help with something?" he asked lightly. Blair's curls bounced about her as she looked up at him from her stool in the kitchen.

"Hmm?" She nearly dropped the box of recipes she held in her hand at the sound of his voice. "Oh." Realization dawned. She shook her head with a small smile at her silliness. "No, that's what hired help is for, Chuck." Her eyes glittered as she brushed past him to place the box back into its place in the cupboard.

He smirked and grabbed her by the waist before she had time to come back to him. Her smile was wide and he murmured wicked things in her ear. Her face flushed a little red. The other maids pretended they didn't see where his hand appeared to be heading, but the fierce look of disapproval on Dorota's face was as clear as day as she walked and then paused in the doorway.

"Miss Blair," she said, coming towards her. Blair batted away Chuck's hand and he lessened his attack. She relaxed jovially in his arms.

"What is it, Dorota?" She was not fazed in the least by her maid's disapproval. Dorota's eyes darted to Chuck's briefly and then looked back at Blair's. She smiled in endearment and gestured to the doorway behind her.

"It time to get ready. Miss Eleanor say so," she said, nodding along and still smiling brightly. Blair cleared her throat.

"Ah," she said, following what looked like a relieved Dorota out of the room. Blair looked back to a mischievous looking Chuck once before turning back around. The heat between them was palpable and Blair knew it would lead to something _dangerous_ if she let him follow her up to her room. She would never get suitably dressed then.

…

He didn't know what had happened up in her room, but it didn't take a brain surgeon to figure out that Blair was upset. The tension reverberating through her was much stronger than it had been earlier when Chuck had detected her sadness over Serena's absence. He felt very uneasy, but didn't have time to ask her about it. They were seated to dinner almost the second she and her forlorn face came down the stairs, Dorota in tow.

He sat beside her at the dinner table and it was like he wasn't even there. People he didn't know but probably should have, Blair too, sat around the table talking about superficial issues with each other and just barely taking notice of the food on their plates and the process of eating it. Chuck could feel the tension not only from Blair, but also, very abruptly, from her mother. Eleanor leaned in a little towards her daughter.

"Blair, you haven't touched your food."

Chuck glanced down at his girlfriend's plate and noticed that the food was in fact completely in the state it had been in when she'd first filled it – not that it had even been that filled at the time. _Not a good sign_. He should have encouraged her to eat something, he realized right then, but he had been so desperate to find a cause as to why she was so upset that he got lost in the possibilities and didn't so much as glance at the quantity of food on her plate and whether it was disappearing. He wanted to squeeze her hand in reassurance. Perhaps her tension was supposed to be a hint to him, a silent plea to get out of there. But he couldn't move. He just listened.

Blair didn't move.

"Blair, darling, what has gotten into you?" Eleanor leaned in a little closer, looking as if she was about to blame her seventeen-year-old daughter for anything and everything that had ever gone wrong in the world. Blair's eyes moved to the ceiling.

"Well…"

Chuck swallowed hard. He _knew_ that tone of voice, and he didn't like it, not in _that_ sense.

"I was going to wait until after dinner, but I suppose now's a good a time as any." Her tone was borderline rude, but she clearly did not care. She was obviously mad at mother dearest as well. Chuck tensed.

"Did you call Daddy and tell him I didn't want to see him this Thanksgiving?"

"Of course not," Eleanor said quickly – _too_ quickly, Chuck knew. Blair's eyes were piercing into her mother's. He could feel it in the way she was turned towards her, and he was a little bit glad he hadn't chosen to hold Blair's hand now. It might have been on the borderline of disintegration. Blair clearly hadn't bought her mother's little white lie either. Eleanor was _horrible_ at lying, especially face-to-face.

"What a ridiculous accusation," Eleanor continued, now turning away from her daughter. Blair egged her on, eager and angry enough to get the truth – especially about something like this, of this nature. She loved her father more than _anything_, even Chuck and Serena and Yale combined.

"So you didn't tell him that I was so angry at him for leaving that I didn't even want to talk to him today?" she snapped. Eleanor sighed, clearly realizing she'd lost. Chuck's eyes closed in anguish for Blair. A fury was also quickly rising in him in regards to the elder Waldorf woman. It was bad enough that Eleanor chose to pick on her daughter and damage every ounce of self-esteem she every had, but taking away her father on _their_ holiday was crossing the line.

Blair shook her head, even more furious now, but clearly on the verge of tears.

"When are you going to get it through your head? He left us."

Chuck felt a storm spinning in his stomach.

"He didn't leave us. He left _you_," Blair returned.

"That's enough," she cut her off.

Chuck knew it was an awful blow, but he didn't blame Blair at this point. He just wished he had the guts to own up to his father in that sort of way…sometimes. Mostly, he just held his tongue to get some sort of sign of love and respect.

"That's enough," Eleanor repeated softly. Blair was still angry but her eyes had softened at her mother's clear vulnerability peaking through. "If you want to take this up with me, we can discuss it later, after our _guests_ have left. Right now you either eat or you leave the table."

"I told you I'm not hungry," Blair threw her napkin on the table and stood to her feet. Chuck looked up at her and turned a bit in his seat. It was as if she wasn't even aware of his presence anymore. His expression shouted worry more than anything else ever had.

"Or maybe dessert'll change your mind," Eleanor offered teasingly – hopefully probably, but Chuck turned and glared at the older woman who probably wasn't even aware of the opportunity she was offering up on a silver platter to her daughter. She seemed unaware of his presence as well though. Blair turned ever so slightly towards her mother.

"Where's Daddy's pie?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"I don't see his pumpkin pie." She sounded frantic, now looking around everywhere. Chuck shifted his gaze from Eleanor and also looked around the table. He was just about ready to spring out of his chair and pull Blair away from her mother and the horrid tense involvement they'd fallen into, but he was too scared to. It was like trying to interrupt his father while he was lecturing him. There was so much at risk for everyone involved – too much possible emotional trauma.

"Well," Eleanor said quite casually, "there were so many delicious choices coming from the caterer, we just sent that one down to the doorman." She ignored the angry stare on her daughter's face. "But it's Thanksgiving after all, huh?" Chuck hated the luring tone of her voice. His hands clenched fiercely on the arms of his chair.

Blair nodded slowly, not even attempting to be rude anymore. Eleanor dared to open her mouth again. Chuck wanted to slam it shut and erase the whole conversation entirely.

"Now choose one of those amazing desserts." Blair plastered a weak, barely-there smile onto her face, grabbed a huge pie – Chuck's eyes widened at the sight of it – and stomped out of the room after her mother's approving nod.

Chuck did not wait another second. The threat of Blair relapsing again flashed through his mind the second Eleanor's voice had turned alluring and suggestive towards one of the desserts. With Blair alone and with a large dessert where he was sure no one could see her, only the worst could be assumed. He quickly stood from his seat and made to follow her out of the dining room.

"Sit down, Charles," Eleanor said without looking at him, as if it was just expected that he'd obey. He wanted to form a brilliant retort, defending Blair and insulting everything she'd just said and what he'd done. "Blair needs some time alone."

He held his tongue. Despite his normal nature, he had been exerting an extremely large amount of self-control throughout the meal, and even when he hadn't followed Blair up into her bedroom earlier. It seemed too much to simply switch off. He didn't respond, only paused to hear the rest of what she had to say and then also fled the room.

When he made it to the kitchen, all the hired help had vacated the premises – including Dorota. Blair was all alone with that large pie in front of her and a forkful of it halfway to her mouth. She was still chewing on the first bite. He noticed by the imprints in the pie that she had not gotten very far.

"Stop."

She looked up at him, appearing shocked as if she had not expected him to be there, at her house even. Her fork froze in its spot and she even stopped chewing for a time before she just swallowed and looked at him, her lips parted with a few crumbs decorating the glossy coating. He walked over to her in her stilled state and took the fork and pie away, dumping both items into the trash. Then he grasped her wrists firmly in his hands and looked deep into her eyes.

"Don't do it," he shook his head slowly, never taking his eyes away from hers. She looked desperate, like she was about to cry and he felt the urge to do so as well. Suddenly, she crumbled against him and he wrapped his arms around her. He felt her nails digging into his back out of desperation.

"My mom just decides everything," she sniffled. "You know?"

He sighed warily.

"Everything in the world is just totally up to her."

He nodded softly and brought her somehow closer. He pressed a kiss into her hair.

"You promised me you wouldn't do it," he said very quietly, not wanting to sound accusing. He heard her sigh and hoped that it wouldn't erupt into some other sadness that would cause her inhaling another pie later on when he wasn't around to stop her.

"I know," she responded, just as quietly. Her head moved to rest fully on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

…

It was hours later when the quiet ring of his phone vibrated against his pants' pocket. He'd been lying with Blair on his bed at The Palace. She'd needed to get away, and he'd done just that, without question. But he'd also made a call during one of the few moments his attention wasn't completely on her, and he needed desperately to answer that quiet ring. Luckily for him, Blair had fallen asleep. The soft rise and fall of her chest told him she had finally recovered and relaxed from the intense confrontation she'd had with her mother earlier in the day.

He slowly unwound himself from Blair's body and climbed off the bed, spreading the blankets closer around her to take his place. He moved across the room and took the call.

"Mr. Waldorf?"

"Charles," the older man said, sounding completely surprised. "Well, I…I wasn't expecting—"

"I think there's been a mistake," he said, abandoning his matters so he could get to the point. The older man's eyebrows narrowed.

"What is it? Is there something wrong with Blair? I know, Eleanor said she didn't want me—"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," he cut him off again, his thoughts entirely on Blair. "There's been a huge misunderstanding. Is there any chance you're near the States?"

Harold blinked. "Why…"

"_Please_," Chuck begged, hardly realizing in the moment that he was doing so.

"I'm a bit confused here, Charles." He almost chuckled to make the mood lighter. "Are you saying Blair _did_ want me to be there? She's not mad?"

Chuck looked over at Blair's form dozing sweetly on his bed.

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

Chuck returned to the bed about twenty minutes later. Blair turned in his arms, blinked softly and looked up at him. She smiled a little and leaned forward just enough to press her lips to his. He had cradled her so close that it wasn't much of a reach. She liked that.

"Where've you been?" she asked. One of his eyebrows cocked in amusement.

"I thought you were asleep."

She shrugged one shoulder. "It got a little chilly on my backside, despite your attempts at replacing yourself with blankets." Her eyes twinkled and he found himself smiling. He closed the short distance again and pressed a kiss first to her nose and then to her lips. She nuzzled her nose against his and felt a chill shoot up her spine from the warming sensation. It was as if fireworks went off all through her.

Before he could kiss her again though, her phone went off. He groaned a little, and she smirked as she sat up to get to her phone. Her eyes widened when she saw the name of the caller blaring across her phone.

"Who is it?" Chuck asked, curious. Blair blinked a few times and her eyes widened. Finally, she turned her phone so he could look at it.

"Serena."

…

The blondes sat at a nearby table, completely oblivious to the presence of the brunettes in the corner. Finally, Chuck and Blair took one final, courageous look at each other and moved forward.

"Serena," Blair said, taking the first plunge. Immediately, the two blondes turned towards them. Serena shot to her feet and Nate turned in his seat, looking instantly tense.

"B." The few moments of silence was unbearable for her and Serena enveloped her into a tight hug. Chuck looked at the two and over at Nate very unsuredly. Nate had a piercing gaze at first, but then avoided eye contact from Chuck at all costs.

"S," Blair finally sighed into Serena's long flowing blonde locks. Her arms wrapped around her as well. "What's going on?" she tried very hard not to cry in her confusion. She erupted into a little laughter instead and Chuck could not fight the small smile that slid onto his face.

"I'm so sorry," she said, leading Blair over to the table. Chuck slowly followed, very wary as he slid into the seat across from Nate.

"What are you talking about?" Blair asked, also wary. She was glad Serena didn't want to fight anymore and that she was sorry, but she had to know _why_. Serena fiddled with her fingers for a little while, sighed, and then finally looked up at her.

"I didn't want to believe you'd found a heart in this…" she gestured vaguely at Chuck, "monster." Chuck raised his eyebrows in amusement.

"Thanks," he said dryly. Blair looked at her in a bit of skepticism, though the amusement was hard to hide from her own face too.

"But if anyone could find one, it'd be you. You two really are good together. I've seen you," she said. Blair pursed her lips disbelievingly.

"We've only been together a few weeks, S. How can you be so sure?"

Serena took a deep breath and stretched her hands across the table, taking hold of Blair's. "I don't know," she said honestly. "I just know that I've known Chuck my entire life, _our_ entire lives," she smiled a little, "and I've never seen him like this for anyone or anything." Both Blair and Chuck looked content by that knowledge. Nate now avoided eye contact from any of them. Luckily for him, they were all centered on Serena and she on them.

"Plus," the blonde continued. "I miss my best friend. Who am I to condone your relationship, even if you do it to mine all the time?" she said playfully. A knowing smirk slid across Blair's features.

"S, I have reason to. Your boyfriend comes from _Brooklyn_." Both the girls laughed and Chuck found himself overjoyed. He could have left right then with the knowledge that Blair and Serena had worked things out. His girlfriend had lit up by the experience. He was more than content that all was forgiven between them.

Nate cleared his throat a bit loudly. Chuck had missed it, but Serena had looked very meaningfully at her blonde counterpart in an effort to get him to fix things with _his_ best friend.

"Chuck, look, I…" he was stuttering and he knew it. Chuck knew it too. The blonde paused and finally looked up at the boy brunette across from him. "Do you really love her?" he asked honestly.

Chuck regarded him for one long serious moment before looking over at Blair, her eyes glittering as she looked lovingly back at him. He reached for her hand and their fingers intertwined. A smile, small at first, stretched wide across his face. He turned his head back towards Nate, trying and failing to suppress the effect Blair Waldorf had on him.

"Yeah. I really do."

Nate nodded, smiling a little too then. "Well then, all's forgiven." He held his hand out for him to shake it. Chuck released Blair's hand momentarily and shook his best friend's hand.

"I've never heard you say that before," Nate said, "about anyone."

Chuck just smiled again and looked over at Blair whose eyes were still twinkling up at him. Then he looked back at Nate. The silent understanding between them was more than enough to make up for those long, lonely Nate-less weeks, despite Blair's overwhelmingly beautiful constant presence.

…

Somehow, the four of them managed to get back to the Waldorf penthouse after an afternoon of laughing and talking of old times and when to get together in the future. Everything was caught up on so excitably that Blair hardly caught a hold of the fact that they were heading back to her house, the place she'd tried so desperately to escape only hours earlier.

"Chuck," she said, suddenly stopping before they got into the elevator. It was clear she was set on retreat. He gripped both her elbows from behind. Serena looked on, concerned and walking towards her.

"It'll be okay," he whispered softly into her ear. "I have a surprise for you." He smirked a little. Blair's head whipped in his direction.

"What?" she asked, excited, wary and confused all at once. Chuck's smirk turned into a smile.

"You'll see," he said. They all scrambled into the elevator.

Blair was still quite suspicious when they stepped out of the elevator and into her penthouse which appeared to be deserted. Despite the close space, she and Nate had shared brief words of understanding and apologies inside the elevator. Things had eased between all of them, even if it would take some time to adjust to all that had happened.

Chuck nodded ahead in one direction. Blair was extremely suspicious now but she walked experimentally down the hall and into one of the main rooms.

"Hello?" she called out into the empty room, feeling a little ridiculous. "Hello?" she asked again. Still nothing. Now she felt stupid and was about to scold Chuck for his demands and false claim to surprises when a figure poked out from behind the far corner. He held a pumpkin pie in his hands and a thick grin on her face. A solemn, but softly smiling Eleanor Waldorf followed behind him.

"Daddy?" Blair gasped. She ran towards him and he placed the pie quickly on the table before gathering her into his arms. Blair's eyes flicked to her mother's. There was still some sort of bitter tension between them, but it was dissolving quickly. Somehow Blair was starting to understand.

She pulled away from her still smiling father and wordlessly asked what had caused his decision to come anyway. Harold Waldorf inclined his head towards Chuck behind her. She spun around and looked at her boyfriend, jaw dropping clear to the floor it seemed.

"I may have pulled a few strings," he shrugged.

She was speechless. She turned back to her father and flung her arms tightly around his neck.

"Oh, Daddy." Some muffled cries got caught up in his shirt as he stroked her hair.

"It's all right, darling. I'm here." He smiled against her. Finally, she released him, her eyes sparkling with happy tears. She looked to her mother again, who also appeared to have had cried a little. She couldn't be mad at her now. So, it hadn't been her who had brought her daddy back. But the reasons emanating from her own vulnerable heart ebbed out quite clearly to her. Blair moved around her father and hugged her mother fiercely.

"I love you, mom," she said quietly against her. Eleanor nodded a little and then released her daughter. Serena and Nate looked on at the scene with heartwarming smiles. Serena definitely had cried more happy tears than all of them put together. Chuck, completely dry-eyed, looked at his girlfriend curiously. She stalked straight over to him and kissed him hard on the lips. The open-mouthed kissing initially made everyone uncomfortable, but when Mr. Waldorf started cheering and clapping a little bit, they all joined in. When Chuck and Blair parted, they were glowing.

"Thank-you," she whispered. Chuck leaned his forehead against hers, as oblivious to the people around him as she was.

"For you, Waldorf? Anything."

…..

A/N: Well, that is all. Hope you enjoyed. I definitely didn't expect it to be this long, since my epilogues usually aren't but I hope that wasn't too disappointing for you. XD Ha. Again, thanks for all the readers & reviewers out there. Please review & vote on my poll! =D

Next update:

_Flashback – Chapter 11_


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